THE  VIOLIN  LADY 


Virginia  Hammond  Stories 

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VIRGINIA 


THE 
VIOLIN  LADY 


BY 
DAISY  RHODES   CAMPBELL 

Author  of 

'THE  FIDDLING  GIRL,"  "THE  PROVING  OP 
VIRGINIA,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED   BY 

JOHN  GOSS 


BOSTON 
COMPANY 


THE  PAGE 
MDCCCCXVI 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
THE  PAGE  COMPANY 

All  rights  reserved 


First  Impression,  February,  1916 


TO 

J6li3abetb  <3rfffitb 

WITH   THE   LOVE   AND   BEST   WISHES 
OF  THE  WRITER 


2134634 


CONTENTS 


I.     A  PARISIAN  PROPOSAL i 

II.     FOR  MATHILDE 18 

III.  HOLIDAY  TIME 39 

IV.  Music  HATH  CHARMS         61 

V.    TRIALS  ARE  TESTS  TO  PROVE  THE  METTLE 

THAT  Is  IN  Us 82 

VI.     MARCELLE  ARRIVES 100 

VII.     THE  WEDDING 122 

VIII.     A    FEW    HAPPENINGS    IN    THE    MOTHER 

COUNTRY 143 

IX.     MARRIAGE  IN  ITS  RELATION  TO  DIFFERENT 

COUNTRIES 165 

X.    A  LOVER  WON,  A  LOVER  LOST  ....   186 

XI.     NOVEL  EXPERIENCES  IN  LONDON    .     .     .  204 

XII.     A  CHAPTER  OF  SURPRISES 223 

XIII.  A  CHRONICLE  OF  REVELATIONS       .      .      .  239 

XIV.  THE  LITTLE  GOD  IN  AMERICA  ....  258 
XV.    ALAN 279 

XVI.    ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL    .     .        303 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


VIRGINIA  HAMMOND  .         .         .          Frontispiece 
"  VIRGINIA  SPOKE  IN   HER   MOST  DIGNIFIED 

MANNER  "      .  .  .  .  .  .28 

"  WlTH  A  PRAYER  IN  HER  HEART  SHE  PLAYED 

THE  '  SWAN  SONG '"  .  .  .  72 

"SUDDENLY  SHE  WAS  AWARE  OF  SOME  ONE 

NEAR  HER"  : 151 

"  '  I   LIKE  WOMEN   MUCH   BETTER.      MEN  BORE 

ME'" 217 

" '  THAT    is    A    MASTERPIECE  ;     THAT    WILL 

LIVE  '  " 242 

"  SOMETIMES    PEOPLE   ARE    TOO    HAPPY    AND 

ABSORBED   TO  TALK"        ,..  .  ,..  .       22 


The 
Violin   Lady 


CHAPTER  I 

A   PARISIAN    PROPOSAL 

"TTJMJZABETH   JORDAN,   that   is   the 

j,  tenth  discord  thou  hast  made  since  I 

came  in;  thou  art  in  a  seething  rage; 

better  let  it  boil  over  on  poor  humble  me  than 

on  the  higher-priced  Steinway !  " 

"  Virginia  Hammond,  I  always  said  thou 
wert  a  reader  of  minds ;  now  I  am  certain  of  it. 
If  thou  canst  tell  the  state  of  mine  underneath 
my  calm  exterior  thou  art  a  seer." 

Elizabeth  slipped  from  the  bench  in  front  of 
her  piano  and  threw  herself  into  an  easy  chair 
near  Virginia,  who  was  mending. 


2  The  Violin  Lady 

"  I  always  admired  girls  who  blabbed  of  their 
love  affairs,"  she  began  rather  scornfully,  when 
her  friend,  with  a  dramatic  wave  of  her  needle, 
interrupted  with :  "  It  will  meet  with  the  si- 
lence of  the  grave;  proceed." 

"  You  know  Raoul  D'Artois,  that  tall,  slim 
youth  I  met  several  times  at  your  aunt's? 
Well,  last  night,  after  Madame  Hortense's  re- 
cital, he  followed  me  into  the  dining-room, 
where  I  went  for  a  drink  of  Clemence's  de- 
licious punch,  for  I  was  desperately  thirsty. 
He  waited  till  I  had  drunk  a  pint,  I  know,  and 
then,  to  my  amazement,  he  said  very  abruptly 
for  him,  in  French :  '  Mademoiselle,  I  have 
tried  many  times  to  see  you  alone,  but  always 
you  evade,  put  one  off.  I  seek  to  call,  but  you 
are  so  busy  with  your  music,  or  you  have  no 
chaperon,  or  you  have  a  previous  engagement; 
always  it  is  something.  Now  you  shall  listen ; 
I  am  determined.' 

"  '  You  have  chosen  a  strange  time  and  place, 
Monsieur,'  I  said  coldly ;  '  any  moment  guests 
may  come  in  — ' 


A  Parisian  Proposal  3 

"'Name  of  a  name!  What  do  I  care  if 
every  one  hears?  I  am  desperate!  I  am  de- 
termined! You  shall  hear  me!  I  love  you! 
I  want  you  for  my  wife !  Must  I  then  see  your 
parents?  I  am  ignorant  of  American  cus- 
toms ;  but  we  must  be  married  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. I  am  alone  in  the  world;  I  need  consult 
or  obey  no  one.  I  can  choose  for  myself.  I 
have  declared,  over  and  over  again,  that  never 
will  I  marry  a  bold,  independent,  ill-bred  Amer- 
ican girl,  but  I  had  not  then  met  you,  Made- 
moiselle. I  am  mad  about  you ;  I  think  of  noth- 
ing else.  Always  I  have  vowed  I  would  only 
place  my  affections  judiciously,  that  is,  where 
money  backed  the  object  of  my  desires;  but 
now  I  throw  discretion  to  the  winds.  I  am 
willing  to  forget  family,  position,  even  to  over- 
looking the  customary  dot,  if  I  may  marry 
you/ 

"  He  paused  a  second,  and  I  said  as  coolly 
as  possible,  in  spite  of  my  rage :  '  You  seem 
to  take  much  for  granted,  Monsieur.  In  my 
country  the  girl  usually  decides  such  matters. 


4  The  Violin  Lady 

My  parents  are  across  the  seas,  but  there  is  no 
need  to  meet  them.  My  father  would  be  deso- 
lated to  see  his  only  daughter  marry  a  for- 
eigner; and  I  have  declared  over  and  again 
that  I  would  never  marry  a  Frenchman.  We 
American  girls  are  spoiled  for  all  other  men. 
I  fear  we  would  make  poor  Griseldas.  As  you 
say,  we  are  too  independent.  Then,  lastly, 
which  I  should  have  put  firstly,  I  don't  love 
you,  and  I  intend  marrying  only  for  love.' 

"  I  wish,  Virginia,  you  could  have  seen  poor 
Raoul's  face.  He  looked  utterly  incredulous. 
He  was  unable  to  grasp  the  fact  that  I,  a  no- 
body, was  rejecting  a  man  of  family.  '  But, 
Mademoiselle,  you  do  not  understand  —  I  fear 
that  in  some  incomprehensible  way  I  have  of- 
fended you  —  but  I  am  offering  you  a  union 
with  the  House  of  D'Artois.  While  I  have  no 
title  my  name  stands  very  high.  You  would 
have  everything  to  gain,  nothing  to  lose  with 
a  marriage  with  me.  I  can  give  you  entree  to 
the  best  social  circles ;  I  have  a  reasonably  good 
inheritance  which  you,  living  as  you  have  been 


A  Parisian  Proposal  5 

forced  to  do,  will  be  able  to  —  make  both  ends 
meet  —  is  not  that  your  way  of  putting  it  ?  As 
for  love  —  ah,  Mademoiselle,  it  is  your  custom 
to  make  jokes !  I  cannot  take  you  seriously/ 

"  '  Of  course  I  cannot  force  you  to  swallow 
distasteful  medicine,  Monsieur  D'Artois;  but 
believe  me,  great  as  is  the  honor  you  pay  me, 
I  could  not  think  of  accepting  it.' 

"  '  Perhaps  Mademoiselle's  hand  is  already 
promised  — ' 

"  '  Yes,  it  is ;  to  my  music  for  several  years. 
I  do  not  wish  or  intend  to  marry  for  some 
time ;  but,  if  I  did,  I  could  not  marry  you.  This 
is  final.' 

"  He  began  to  remonstrate,  when,  to  my  re- 
lief, your  aunt  and  several  of  her  friends  came 
in.  I  joined  them  at  once  and  kept  out  of 
Raoul's  way.  Yet  this  morning  the  first  thing 
I  received  a  note  from  him  by  messenger.  He 
simply  cannot  comprehend  the  astounding  fact 
that  a  poor,  penniless  American  maid  can  re- 
ject a  high-born  scion  of  the  House  of  D'Ar- 
tois. I  could  laugh  over  it  if  I  could  forget 


6  The  Violin  Lady 

his  supreme  egotism  and  conceit,  his  patroniz- 
ing attitude!  oh,  I  felt  like  choking  his  com- 
placent smile  down  his  throat !  " 

"  Elizabeth,  you  are  becoming  murderous ! 
Why  not  pity  the  poor  man?  Here  he  has 
risen  to  the  heights  of  sacrifice.  He  has  re- 
solved to  be  noble,  magnanimous,  and  you  spoil 
the  whole  episode."  Virginia's  manner 
changed.  "  You  see,  it  is  just  as  I  told  you. 
You  are  in  a  false  position.  You  insist  on  liv- 
ing here  in  Paris  as  I  do,  on  short  rations ;  and 
people  think  your  circumstances  are  like  mine. 
Except  for  Aunt  Henrietta's  occasional  small 
social  affairs  you  are  a  hermit.  You  refuse  to 
present  your  letters  because  you  do  not  wish  to 
go  where  I  cannot.  It  isn't  fair  or  right.  I 
am  fitting  myself  to  make  my  living  by  my  pro- 
fession, you  — " 

"  I  came  here  to  work  with  you.  Next  year 
I  intend  to  play  at  home;  later  I  may  come 
here  with  Mother.  Now,  Virginia,  don't  rouse 
my  ire.  We've  threshed  it  out  before.  Is  not 
Raoul  enough  for  one  morning?  And  I  never 


'A  Parisian  Proposal  7 

had  such  a  lesson  as  M.  Etienne  gave  me,  and 
it  is  nearly  time  to  beard  the  lion  in  his  den. 
I  am  glad  of  it.  I  want  something  hard.  If 
you  only  heard  what  I  did  last  night!  Mrs. 
Kirkland  said  that  Camondreau  told  a  friend 
of  hers,  the  Baronne  de  Pontoise,  that  his  new 
American  pupil  was  a  true  artist ;  she  had  tem- 
perament ;  she  would,  if  she  worked  as  she  was 
doing,  make  her  mark  in  the  world." 

"  Did  Camondreau  say  that?  "  Virginia  de- 
manded incredulously.  "  And  you  kept  it  till 
morning !  I  thought  you  were  my  friend.  If 
you  heard  him  find  fault  with  me,  you  would 
never  believe  he  thought  I  would  amount  to 
shucks,  as  Lucinda  Dildine  would  say.  I  feel 
now  as  if  I  could  do  anything.  Whoopee ! " 
Virginia  tossed  up  the  shirt-waist  she  had  been 
mending  in  the  exuberance  of  her  feelings. 

"  You  should  have  seen  your  aunt's  face 
when  she  told  me,"  Elizabeth  went  on.  "  She 
looked  as  if  she  would  burst  with  pride." 

1 '  I  suppose  if  she  is  a  genius,  which  I  rather 
doubt,  we  must  sacrifice  her  to  the  world/  she 


8  The  Violin  Lady 

said;  'but  I  do  feel  it  a  terrible  drawback  to 
her  future  not  to  have  her  in  society.  Of 
course,  in  my  changed  circumstances,  I  was 
forced  to  leave  her  in  America;  but  now  that 
she  is  here  I  might  do  much  for  her  by  intro- 
ducing her  to  my  friends  and  taking  her  out 
with  me.  But  Virginia,  though  a  dear  child, 
always  had  a  will  of  her  own.  Once  she  sets 
out  to  do  a  thing  she  will  succeed  or  break 
something/  She  sighed  so  deeply  I  felt  sorry 
for  her." 

"  Poor  Aunt  Henrietta ! "  Virginia  said, 
laughing;  "  she  is  always  trying  to  excuse  her- 
self for  not  carrying  out  her  plans  in  regard  to 
me.  It  seemed  at  first  that  I  could  hardly  bear 
the  disappointment,  yet  look  how  it  is  turning 
out !  I  have  earned  enough  for  a  year  in  Paris 
if  I  live  carefully  and  keep  well,  and  if  I  need 
more  there  is  my  stepmother  and  your  father 
ready  to  loan  me  money. 

" '  There's  a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Rough-hew  them  how  we  will.' 

I  have  proved  it." 


A  Parisian  Proposal  9 

"  I  sometimes  wish  that  I  had  a  real  voca- 
tion," Elizabeth  declared;  "I  love  my  music, 
but  I  am  no  genius." 

"  Neither  am  I ;  it  always  makes  me  laugh  to 
hear  people  call  me  one.  I  have  talent,  yes, 
but  the  rest  is  simply  a  dogged  resolution  to 
work  and  keep  on  working.  Elizabeth,  you 
are  a  worker,  too,  and  you  know  you  have  tal- 
ent." 

"  There's  a  difference,"  her  friend  declared, 
shaking  her  head ;  "  and  if  I  don't  hurry  off  this 
minute  you  won't  see  me  again.  M.  Etienne 
says :  '  If  a  pupil,  he  ees  late,  he  cannot  come 
to  me;  he  must  go  elsewhere.  My  time  is  not 
made  to  waste  on  laggards,'  with  accent  on  the 
last  syllable." 

As  soon  as  Elizabeth  was  gone  Virginia  put 
her  finished  mending  away  —  which  she  hated 
—  and  took  out  her  violin,  which  she  loved. 
Elizabeth's  words  had  inspired  her  to  fresh 
effort. 

The  two  friends  had  come  to  Paris  six 
months  before  from  Carlisle,  Ohio,  to  study 


10  The  Violin  Lady 

music.  Virginia  had  spent  the  three  years  of 
college  life  with  her  mother's  elder  sister,  a 
wealthy  widow,  Mrs.  Kirkland.  She  and  her 
aunt,  Mrs.  Van  Steyne,  had  disowned  and  ut- 
terly ignored  Virginia's  lovely  mother,  Mar- 
garet Leighton,  on  account  of  her  so-called 
mesalliance  with  a  truck  farmer,  David  Ham- 
mond. Later,  when  alone  and  fearing  blind- 
ness, Mrs.  Kirkland  quite  by  accident  heard 
Virginia  play,  and  her  beauty,  talent  and  charm 
took  her  aunt  by  storm.  She  begged  her  to 
make  her  home  with  her,  and  let  her  lavish 
advantages  on  her  to  try  and  atone  for  all  she 
had  done  to  her  mother.  After  quite  a  strug- 
gle, Virginia  yielded.  But  her  aunt,  while 
generous  when  it  took  no  effort  or  sacrifice  on 
her  part,  failed  when  she  lost  a  third  of  her 
large  income  through  a  bad  investment. 
Rather  than  cut  down  her  lavish  expenditures 
appreciably,  she  decided  to  fulfill  none  of  her 
promises  as  to  the  girl's  future.  Virginia, 
while  keenly  disappointed,  refused  to  blame  her 
aunt.  She  insisted  that  she  had  already  done 


A  Parisian  Proposal  11 

so  much  that  it  would  be  ungrateful  to  feel 
hard  towards  her. 

When  Mrs.  Kirkland  went  to  Paris,  instead 
of  accompanying  her,  Virginia  went  home  to 
the  farm  to  spend  the  summer  with  her  loved 
stepmother,  her  father,  and  the  children,  Bob 
and  Janet.  In  the  fall,  through  the  efforts  of 
her  violin  teacher,  Miss  Van  Buren,  she  made 
a  tour  of  several  of  the  Western  States  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  Stedman  and  his  wife. 
A  very  interesting  girl,  Marcelle  Le  Due,  was 
the  vocal  soloist.  The  enterprise  proved  a  suc- 
cess, and  the  two  girls  earned  enough  to  take 
them  abroad  for  a  year's  study,  Marcelle  going 
to  Berlin.  Virginia's  dearest  friend,  who, 
with  her  family,  had  been  most  kind  to  her, 
both  during  her  years  at  Miss  Kemble's  and 
Exeter  College,  decided  to  accompany  her 
friend  to  study  the  piano. 

Though  a  girl  of  wealth  she  insisted  on  liv- 
ing in  Paris  as  Virginia  did.  They  found  two 
rooms  and  a  tiny  kitchenette  at  a  widow's, 
Madame  Victoire,  on  the  Rue  de  1'Echelles, 


12  The  Violin  Lady 

within  easy  walking  distance  of  their  teachers' 
respective  studios  on  the  Avenue  de  1'Opera. 
Virginia  liked  the  idea  of  its  being  the  ladder 
to  success.  The  girls  prepared  their  own  sim- 
ple breakfasts  and  suppers,  and  tried  different 
restaurants  for  dinners.  They  were  both 
healthy,  normal,  unspoiled  girls,  and  enjoyed 
their  new  experiences  with  zest.  They  often 
rose  early  to  practice  before  breakfast  so  that 
they  might  snatch  a  few  hours  to  see  the  won- 
derful sights  of  Paris.  They  had  been  to  Ver- 
sailles; the  beautiful  cemetery  Pere  la  Chaise; 
Notre  Dame;  the  Louvre,  and  many  other 
places ;  and  yet  after  six  months  they  felt  they 
did  not  half  know  the  marvelous  city. 

Aunt  Henrietta  was  amazed,  and,  if  the 
truth  were  known,  not  too  well  pleased  to  have 
her  niece  appear  unexpectedly  at  her  perfectly 
appointed  apartment.  Mrs.  Kirkland  always 
felt  a  twinge  of  conscience  when  she  thought 
of  her  niece  and  of  her  cavalier  treatment  of 
her.  She  also  wished  Virginia  to  picture  her 
as  living  abroad  simply  and  inexpensively, 


A  Parisian  Proposal  13 

while,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  she  enjoyed  many 
luxuries.  She  was  really  attached  to  Virginia, 
who  had  been  devoted  to  her  during  her  months 
of  blindness  from  cataract,  but  she  was  a 
woman  to  whom  self-denial  or  any  cutting 
down  of  pleasure  and  expenses  filled  with  dis- 
may amounting  to  horror. 

The  two  girls  had  not  been  long  at  Madame 
Victoire's  when  the  latter  came  into  their  little 
suite  with  a  mysterious  air  which  excited  Vir- 
ginia's curiosity. 

"  I  came  to  inform  you  of  new  arrivals  I  am 
expecting  to-morrow  to  take  the  two  rooms  in 
the  rear.  The  woman  is  a  Madame  Bernard. 
She  is  from  my  old  home  —  Rouen.  She  is 
young,  but  she  has  had  much  trouble.  Her 
husband,  a  carpenter,  fell  when  at  work  and 
injured  himself  so  that  he  lived  only  a  few 
weeks.  She  had  a  little  baby  born  soon  after. 
It  was  found  that  the  muscles  of  one  leg  did  not 
grow  as  they  should,  so  that  he  was  lame. 
Lately,  an  uncle  of  the  father,  who  has  some 
money,  decided  to  send  the  boy  and  his  mother 


14  The  Violin  Lady 

here  to  try  the  great  Doctor  de  Thevenau. 
But " —  and  here  Madame  Victoire  lowered  her 
voice  perceptibly  — "  they  are  while  most  ex- 
cellent people  not  of  a  class  with  the  young  la- 
dies from  America.  Yet  I  cannot  refuse  the 
daughter  of  an  old  friend.  Would  you  and 
Miss  Jordan  object  to  having  them  in  the 
house?  " 

"  My  friend's  father  is  a  merchant  and  mine 
is  a  farmer,"  Virginia  replied ;  "  so,  you  see,  we 
are  all  working  people.  I  should  be  glad  to 
know  your  brave  friend  and  her  boy." 

They  proved  to  be  very  simple-hearted  peo- 
ple. The  mother  was  attractive  and  young  to 
be  the  mother  of  a  six-year-old  child.  She  was 
sweet  and  retiring  with  pretty  manners.  But 
the  boy,  Adrien,  was  adorable.  He  had  the 
face  of  a  cherub  and  was  bright  and  interest- 
ing. He  always  spoke  of  Virginia  as  the  Vio- 
lin Lady  and  Elizabeth  as  the  Talking  Lady, 
and  so  in  the  square  on  which  they  lived  the 
two  were  called  by  these  names.  Virginia 
often  even  yet  found  it  difficult  to  believe  that 


A  Parisian  Proposal  15 

her  dream  of  being  a  violinist  was  at  last  com- 
ing true.  Camondreau,  if  severe,  was  the 
finest  teacher  she  could  have.  Miss  Van 
Buren,  her  American  instructor,  had  been  a 
favorite  pupil  of  his  and  used  his  methods.  She 
it  was  who,  next  to  Dennis  Flaherty,  a  lame 
Irish  fiddler,  was  the  one  to  awaken  Virginia's 
ambitions  and  to  teach  her  careful  technique. 
But  the  rest  she  declared  was  not  her  doing, — 
it  was  God-given.  She  had  come  across  with 
Marcelle  Le  Due,  Elizabeth  and  Virginia,  and 
was  now  playing  to  enthusiastic  houses  in  Rus- 
sia, and  receiving  much  attention  socially,  so 
that  she  had  almost  made  up  her  mind  to  stay 
in  St.  Petersburg  for  a  time,  after  her  profes- 
sional engagements  were  over  at  Easter. 

It  was  now  early  December.  The  girls  were 
looking  forward  to  having  Marcelle  Le  Due 
with  them  for  Christmas.  Mrs.  Kirkland 
was  to  spend  the  holidays  at  Rome  with 
friends. 

Virginia  was  deep  in  her  practicing  after 
Elizabeth  had  gone.  She  stopped  to  read  her 


16  The  Violin  Lady 

always  welcome  mail.  She  tore  open  her  step- 
mother's letter  first  to  hear  the  home  news. 
Then  she  took  up  an  envelope  addressed  in  Mar- 
celle's  odd  slanting  pretty  chirography.  As  she 
read  she  gave  an  exclamation  of  dismay. 

"  I  find,  dear  Virginia,"  it  ran,  "  that  I  can- 
not join  you  and  Elizabeth  for  the  holidays. 
I  have  the  chance  to  sing  at  three  different 
houses  during  Christmas  week,  and  as  the  peo- 
ple are  all  very  wealthy  and  offer  me  most  lib- 
eral pay,  I  feel  in  my  circumstances  it  would 
be  more  than  foolish  to  throw  it  aside.  I  can- 
not tell  you  how  disappointed  I  am;  but  per- 
haps I  can  join  you  at  Easter  or  later.  I  am, 
as  you  know,  dear  Virginia,  slow'  at  making 
friends,  but  I  have  made  a  few  good  ones. 
Life  smiles,  a  little  crookedly  it  is  true,  but 
smiles,  and  I  try  to  have  your  optimism  and 
faith,  but  it  is  not  easy." 

"  Dear  me !  "  Virginia  thought,  "  that  upsets 
our  plans !  I  suppose  it  would  be  better  never 
to  make  any,  but  I  am  always  doing  it.  Poor 
brave  Marcelle !  I  did  so  want  to  see  her !  It's 


A  Parisian  Proposal  17 

most  inconvenient  to  be  poor  if  it  isn't  any  dis- 
grace. I  wonder  if  Marcelle  and  I  shall  ever 
make  a  large  amount  of  money.  I  doubt  it." 


CHAPTER  II 

FOR    MATHILDE 

IT  was  two  days  before  Christmas.  The 
girls  had  a  week's  vacation.  They  cele- 
brated by  cutting  down  their  practice  of 
four  hours  a  day  to  an  hour  and  a  half.  They 
gave  themselves  up  to  the  luxury  of  resting  and 
sight-seeing. 

Virginia  was  dusting,  Elizabeth  washing  the 
few  breakfast  dishes  in  the  tiny  kitchenette. 
They  talked  back  and  forth  as  they  worked. 
"  It  lightens  our  labors,  just  as  singing  cheered 
the  overworked  galley  slaves,"  Elizabeth  said. 

"  How  thankful  I  am  that  Aunt  Henrietta 
is  in  Rome  and  cannot  see  our  back  room,"  Vir- 
ginia exclaimed.  "  It  is  the  tragedy  of  pov- 
erty that  I  must  now  and  then  do  the  family 
wash.  The  windows  don't  need  curtains  with 
my  handkerchiefs  drying  on  their  smooth  faces, 

18 


For  Mathilde  19 

and  my  two  shirt-waists  and  hose  are  draping 
the  chairs.  I  have  heard  her  say  that  of  all 
common  things  it  is  the  worst  to  daub  wet 
handkerchiefs  on  window-panes;  and  she  spoke 
of  some  people  in  Carlisle  as  '  the  kind  that 
wash  their  linen  in  the  bath-tub '  as  if  that  — 
not  their  morals  —  settled  the  question  forever 
of  their  respectability.  Ah,  here  is  Nannette 
with  Miss  Jordan's  laundry." 

Virginia  was  opening  the  door  to  admit  a 
smiling,  stout  woman  carrying  a  basket. 

"  It  is  a  sunny  day,  Mademoiselle;  the  good 
God  sends  us  many  to  cheer  the  hearts  of  us 
washerwomen.  We  have  much  to  thank  Him 
for  this  Christmas  time.  Never  have  we  had 
such  good  luck  as  this  year.  Pierre  has  not  had 
a  sick  day,  and  his  mother,  who  lives  with  us,  is 
well  and  hearty,  though  nearing  eighty;  and 
our  eldest  Maria  has  a  place  in  a  fine  family. 
But  alas!  others  are  not  so  fortunate!  Here, 
in  the  sa"me  house  with  us,  just  yesterday  a  ter- 
rible thing  happened  —  ah,  it  was  most  terri- 
ble!—  Mathilde  Dupin's  little  Dacie  was 


20  The  Violin  Lady 

burned.  She  found  a  match  on  the  floor,  and 
when  it  went  off  it  caught  the  little  one's  skirts. 
Poor  Mathilde  put  it  out,  but  not  till  the  child 
was  badly  burned,  and  her  own  right  hand  is 
of  a  redness  to  her  elbow.  They  are  both  at  the 
hospital.  I  and  my  neighbors  care  for  the  two 
older  children,  but  Mathilde  is  a  widow  or 
worse,  for  her  husband,  a  worthless  baggage, 
ran  off  and  left  his  family  —  too  lazy  to  work. 
Mathilde  is  never  idle;  how  can  she  be  with 
three  growing  children  always  empty  to  the 
heels,  let  alone  clothes  and  rent?  I  fear  she 
can't  use  her  hand  soon,  and  what  she  is  to 
do  " —  Nannette,  whose  breath  often  failed  her, 
now  gave  out,  and  she  paused  to  regain  it. 
Elizabeth  was  standing,  purse  in  hand.  She 
paid  her  laundry  bill,  then  pressed  some  money 
in  the  woman's  hand.  "  For  Mathilde,"  she 
said,  "  for  a  merry  Christmas !  " 

"  But  it  is  of  a  muchness,  so  many  francs !  " 
Nannette  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  awe.  "  The 
good  God  certainly  sent  me  to  Mademoiselle. 
I  cried  hard  at  breakfast  because  we  can  do 


For  Mathilde  21 

so  little.  Father  Antoine  tells  me  always  that 
I  haven't  faith."  She  rose  to  go. 

"  And  I,  too,  will  send  her  something  later," 
promised  Virginia,  as  the  woman  took  leave. 

No  sooner  was  she  gone  than  Virginia 
turned  eagerly  to  Elizabeth.  "  I  must  help, 
and  the  only  way  is  to  earn.  It  came  home  to 
me  in  a  flash,  while  Nannette  was  talking,  how 
to  do  it.  If  only  you  will  help!  "  She  looked 
doubtfully  at  her  friend. 

"Of  course  I  shall;  speak  and  thy  slave 
obeys  thy  behest." 

"  It  is  this."  Virginia  threw  down  her 
duster  in  her  eagerness.  "  I  will  start  out  with 
my  violin  and  play  on  the  street,  in  cafes,  any- 
where, and  you  " —  she  faltered  for  a-  moment 
— "  will  collect  the  money  for  me." 

But  Elizabeth  did  not  hesitate.  She  danced 
about  the  room  like  the  child  she  was. 

"  It  is  a  godsend ;  here  we  are  dull  and  hard- 
working, with  a  monotonous  existence  stretch- 
ing out  before  us.  Now,  we  shall  live. 
Where?  when?  which?" 


22  The  Violin  Lady 

"  There's  nothing  like  the  present,"  Virginia 
declared.  "  Let  us  wear  these  working 
dresses,  and  you  borrow  that  shabby  Noah's 
ark  dolman  of  Madame  Victoire  and  I  shall 
get  Adrien  to  loan  me  his  mother's  cape  she 
wears  for  common  —  she  has  gone  to  market 
in  her  best.  Let  us  tie  our  heads  up  in  our 
silk  scarfs.  I  wish  they  were  not  quite  so  new. 
Come,  I  must  get  to  work.  You  gave  ten  dol- 
lars. I  may  give  as  much,  who  knows  ?  Ma- 
thilde's  case  is  a  judgment  on  me  for  joking 
over  my  poverty." 

"  I  might  have  given  more,  but  I  have  set 
aside  some  for  the  church  thank  offering 
Christmas  morning,  and  for  other  things.  But 
later  I  may  do  more.  Father  is  always  so  gen- 
erous, and  I'm  expecting  an  extra  check  for 
my  Christmas.  Oh,  I  do  miss  sending  the  dear 
little  packages,  and  selecting  gifts  for  the  home 
people !  "  Elizabeth  gave  a  sigh  of  regret. 

Virginia  plunged  into  her  preparations. 
She  could  not  reply  for  the  lump  in  her  throat. 
She  was  struggling  with  a  wave  of  homesick- 


For  MatMlde  23 

ness  and  welcomed  the  present  adventure  with 
ardor.  She  and  Elizabeth  had  had  their  pic- 
tures taken  on  postcards  and  sent  them  in  dif- 
ferent poses  far  and  near  for  Christmas  greet- 
ings. They  had  written  long  letters  home, 
timing  them  to  arrive  the  day  before  Christ- 
mas. The  two  slipped  quietly  out  of  the 
house,  hoping  they  might  meet  no  one  they 
knew. 

"  I  don't  believe  any  one  would  know  us  any- 
how," Elizabeth  declared  confidently.  "  You 
look  so  common,  Virginia;  even  Aunt  Henri- 
etta would  not  recognize  you  as  a  Leighton." 

"  Don't  flatter  yourself  you  look  any  bet- 
ter," retorted  Virginia.  She  carried  her  violin 
in  her  case,  and  Elizabeth  carried  a  small  bas- 
ket. They  walked  down  the  Avenue  de 
1'Opera  outwardly  bold  in  their  disguise.  A 
crowd  was  gathering  at  a  corner.  They  parted 
to  allow  an  automobile  to  make  way. 

"  An  accident,"  said  a  man  near  the  girls. 

"  Come,  let  us  reach  them  before  they  dis- 
band," Elizabeth  urged. 


24  The  Violin  Lady 

The  moment  they  came  to  the  edge  of  the 
group  already  turning  away  as  some  one  had 
evidently  been  carried  off,  Virginia  was  tuning 
her  instrument.  Then  she  played  all  the  sim- 
ple American  airs  she  knew.  The  people 
lingered,  more  came  up.  Elizabeth  passed  her 
basket. 

As  they  went  on  Virginia  asked  breathlessly : 
"  Did  we  get  much  ?  " 

"  Three  francs,  a  few  sous ;  riches  don't 
come  this  way,"  the  treasurer  replied  sadly. 
"  Virginia,  I  dare  you  to  go  into  the  Hotel 
Bellvue.  Here  it  is.  We  can  only  be  put 
out." 

A  moment  later  the  two  found  themselves 
in  the  hotel  corridor.  With  hands  that  trem- 
bled Virginia  played.  A  hotel  employee 
frowned  at  them  and  evidently  went  off  to  in- 
form higher  powers.  But  as  the  playing  pro- 
ceeded the  corridor  filled.  Virginia,  thinking 
of  Mathilde,  forgot  her  fear  and  played  tunes 
both  classical  and  rollicking.  As  she  finally 
put  up  her  violin  there  was  wild  applause  and 


For  Mathilde  25 

cries  of  bravo!  Elizabeth,  her  heart  beating 
fast,  passed  the  basket.  It  beat  faster  at  the 
comments  of  some  of  the  men.  "  A  pretty 
demoiselle,  sacre  cceur! "  "  Such  eyes  are  too 
bright  for  sadness !  "  "  Come,  little  one,  take 
a  pour-boire.  It  will  put  heart  into  thee." 

At  last  they  were  out  on  the  street. 

"  I  confess  I'm  scared,"  Elizabeth  declared. 
"  I  suppose  it's  the  French  way,  but  I  hate  it. 
I  feel  ...  oh,  disgraced!" 

For  once  Virginia  was  not  sympathetic. 
The  craving  for  gold  had  gone  to  her  brain. 
She  had  visions  of  Mathilde's  relief  when  she 
should  send  her  the  money  which  meant  so 
much  to  her  and  her  family.  Nothing  else  mat- 
tered. 

"  Just  let  us  try  the  Cafe  de  Paris,"  she 
begged. 

But  here  they  were  roughly  ordered  off. 
"  The  Rue  de  Petits  Champs  may  be  better," 
pleaded  Virginia.  She  was  white  and  tired 
but  indignant.  "  I  shan't  be  downed,"  she  de- 
clared, "  I  will  be  heard."  Elizabeth,  won- 


26  The  Violin  Lady 

dering,  followed  her  lead.  Once  on  the  Petits 
Champs,  Virginia  played.  A  crowd  gathered, 
but  only  a  few  sous  repaid  her  zeal. 

"  Let  us  take  an  omnibus  to  the  Boulevard 
des  Capucines,"  begged  Elizabeth.  "  I  am 
ready  to  drop.  I  am  sure  we  shall  do  better 
there.  I  shall  gladly  pay  the  fares." 

Once  on  the  Boulevard  they  passed  the  Cafe 
de  la  Paix.  "Come,  I  shall  try  here,"  said 
Virginia  decisively.  She  passed  in,  followed 
with  docility  by  Elizabeth.  With  a  brave  front 
but  sinking  heart  Virginia  played.  The  girls 
kept  near  the  door.  There  were  many  at  the 
tables.  Gradually  one  by  one  paused  in  their 
eating  to  listen. 

"  Good !  that  is  no  street  player.  I've  heard 
worse  on  the  stage.  Camondreau  ought  to 
hear  that,"  were  some  of  the  comments.  Vir- 
ginia played  Bach's  "  G  String,"  the  "  Lieber- 
straume,"  then  her  own  little  composition  "  The 
Thrush's  Wooing,"  tender,  appealing.  As  she 
stopped  there  was  applause.  Under  cover  of 
it  Virginia  spoke  urgently  to  Elizabeth.  "  I 


For  Mathilde  27 

heard  you  singing  '  The  Suwanee  River '  this 
morning.  Sing  it  now." 

Elizabeth  tried  to  protest,  but  Virginia,  with 
the  air  of  a  general,  was  playing  the  prelude. 
The  girl  had  had  a  good  voice,  a  little  above 
the  ordinary,  but  she  had  had  but  little  train- 
ing and  never  attempted  vocal  music. 

"  It's  do  or  die,"  she  thought,  and  found  her- 
self scared  as  she  never  had  been  before,  sing- 
ing the  familiar  song,  Virginia  joining  in  the 
chorus  with  her  alto.  The  applause  was  hardly 
over  when  Elizabeth,  with  scarlet  cheeks,  car- 
ried the  basket.  Some  were  respectful,  others 
jocular,  but  most  of  them  gave  coins  with  a 
will.  The  girls  slipped  out. 

"  That  was  a  success,  but  it's  not  ten  dollars 
yet,"  Virginia  observed. 

"  I  haven't  counted  it  carefully ;  I  am  afraid 
in  such  public  places,  but  it  is  about  that.  Vir- 
ginia, I  don't  know  you  to-day.  I  always  said 
you  had  will,  but  heaven  deliver  me  from  it 
after  this  experience.  I  believe  you  could  even 
manage  Raoul ! " 


28  The  Violin  Lady 

Virginia  was  about  to  reply  when  a  voice 
directly  back  of  them  sent  the  blood  to  her  head. 
"  Not  so  fast,  my  charming  demoiselles ;  I  know 
you  are  hungry;  let  my  friend  and  me  treat 
you  to  a  dainty  lunch,"  it  said  in  French. 

Neither  girl  turned,  but  kept  on,  heads  erect. 
With  a  dexterous  movement  two  men  whirled 
directly  in  front  of  them.  One  was  of  middle 
age,  well-dressed,  but  showing  dissipation  in 
his  bloated  face;  the  other  younger  and  more 
attractive. 

"  Let  us  pass,  gentlemen,  or  we  will  call  the 
gendarmes.  We  are  doing  you  no  harm." 
Virginia  spoke  in  her  most  dignified  manner. 

"  Now  don't  let  us  lose  time,"  the  younger 
man  urged  with  a  laugh.  "  You,  Mademoiselle, 
play  for  others,  play  for  us.  We  will  pay  you 
well.  Life  is  too  short  to  act  the  prude  even 
for  a  few  moments.  Let  us  be  merry  for  to- 
morrow we  die." 

The  girls  could  not  pass  without  a  struggle. 
They  paused.  As  the  young  fellow  talked, 
Elizabeth  looked  wildly  about  for  help.  Sud- 


VIRGINIA    SPOKE    IN    HER    MOST    DIGNIFIED    MANNER 


For  MatMlde  29 

denly  she  jumped  to  one  side  and  caught  the 
arm  of  a  tall,  distinguished-looking  man. 

"Oh,  Doctor  de  Thevenau!"  she  cried,  "I 
am  Miss  Jordan;  you  remember  me  at  the  hos- 
pital perhaps  with  Adrien  Bernard?  My 
friend  and  I  are  in  trouble." 

The  great  surgeon,  known  through  the  city 
for  his  skill  and  goodness,  glanced  swiftly  at 
the  little  group.  Then  stepping  towards  them 
he  said  courteously :  "  Mademoiselle,  come 
with  me;  my  car  is  a  block  away.  Pardon,  I 
hope  I  have  not  kept  you  waiting." 

At  his  first  words  the  men  with  a  muttered 
apology  vanished  as  if  by  magic.  Virginia  had 
all  she  could  do  to  keep  from  breaking  down, 
the  relief  was  so  great.  The  three  walked  on 
in  silence  to  the  big  touring  car. 

"  Jacques,"  the  doctor  spoke  to  the  chauffeur, 
"I  shall  drive  myself;  meet  me  at  the  hos- 
pital." 

Once  in,  he  turned  to  the  two  girls  in  the 
tonneau. 

"  Now  tell  me  all  about  it,"  he  demanded. 


30  The  Violin  Lady 

"  It  was  all  my  fault,"  Virginia  began,  feel- 
ing all  at  once  very  small  and  young.  She  lost 
no  time  in  details  for  well  she  knew  that  mo- 
ments were  precious  to  the  man  before  her. 
The  doctor  listened  attentively,  his  keen  eyes 
taking  in  meanwhile  the  shabby  dress,  the  pale, 
scared  faces.  Never  would  he  have  recognized 
the  chic  young  women  who  came  to  the  hospital 
with  Adrien  and  his  mother  twice  a  week,  the 
latter  being  too  timid  to  go  alone. 

At  the  close,  he  asked  for  their  address  and 
they  were  off. 

Elizabeth  caught  Virginia's  cold'  hand  in 
hers.  They  said  nothing.  The  adventure 
which  a  few  hours  ago  had  seemed  excit- 
ing and  meritorious  now  looked  flat  and 
foolish.  What  must  the  great  man  on  the 
front  seat  think  of  them?  Merely  another 
prank  set  down  to  the  credit  of  those  wild,  free 
Americans,  a  nation  of  shopkeepers,  a  country 
of  savages. 

They  drove  up  before  Madame  Victoire's, 
much  to  that  lady's  amazement  as  she  took  in 


For  Mathilde  31 

the  gratifying  spectacle  from  a  discreet  back- 
ground. 

"  I  hope  that  Therese  Crepin  sees  who  brings 
my  lodgers  home,"  she  thought;  "  she  who  says 
they  are  of  the  people,  the  cat ! " 

As  they  slowed  down  the  doctor  faced  them 
again  and  said  gravely :  "  Such  experiences 
may  be  comme  il  faut  in  your  country,  mes 
demoiselles,  I  do  not  know;  but  I  do  know  they 
will  not  pass  in  mine.  Thank  your  patron 
saint  that  I  was  passing  when  I  did.  'Tis  said 
that  angels  watch  over  fools  and  children;  but 
do  not  repeat  it."  Then,  his  voice  changing  to 
a  brisk,  businesslike  tone,  he  went  on :  "  But 
there  is  a  rose-colored  lining  to  many  a  cloud. 
I  have  been  up  to  my  heels  in  work  and  have 
not  had  time  to  prepare  a  little  treat  for  my 
convalescent  children  Christmas  Eve.  It  must 
be  simple  and  not  too  long.  You  two  can  help 
me  out  if  you  will.  Play  at  the  hospital  to- 
morrow at  six  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  add  to 
Mathilde's  fund.  Now,"  as  Virginia  tried  to 
speak,  "  I  know  you  would  gladly  help  without 


32  The  Violin  Lady 

price,  but  that  would  not  be  fair  to  Mathilde. 
Never  rob  Peter  to  pay  Paul.  I  shall  bring 
my  little  girl  Heloise.  She  is  home  for  a  fort- 
night from  the  convent;  a  spoiled,  motherless 
child,  who  never  thinks  of  others  because  every- 
body thinks  of  her.  Yes,  I  shall  bring  her. 
Will  you  put  up  with  her  ?  " 

Then,  as  they  eagerly  assented,  he  inter- 
rupted them  to  say:  "The  car  will  be  here 
for  you,  and  the  little  boy  and  his  mother  — 
she  will  do  for  chaperon."  He  smiled  ever  so 
little,  and,  touching  his  hat,  he  started  his  car 
and  was  gone. 

The  girls  hurried  into  the  house  hoping  to 
escape  the  sharp  eyes  of  Madame  Victoire. 
But  there  she  stood  near  their  rooms,  and,  as 
she  looked,  her  eyes  stared  in  mingled  amaze- 
ment and  incredulity. 

"  Mon  Dieu! "  she  exclaimed,  "  to  be  out 
with  monsieur  le  docteur  in  clothes  like  the 
daughters  of  a  washerwoman !  " 

"  They  wouldn't  wear  them  on  the  street," 
Virginia  said  gravely ;  while  Elizabeth  added : 


For  Mathilde  33 

"Just  a  little  American  masquerade  to  cele- 
brate the  season,  Madame." 

Madame's  face  cleared.  These  Americans 
did  such  strange  things.  She  had  heard  that 
in  their  finest  cities  Indians  walked  the  streets 
with  hardly  any  clothes  on,  and  most  of  the 
houses  were  of  marble.  Yet  the  young  ladies 
were  chic  and  generous  —  yes,  and  they  had 
manners  that  were  pleasant,  not  like  French 
ladies  of  rank  quite,  yet  they  were  of  a  niceness 
not  to  be  met  with  every  day. 

"  Elizabeth,"  said  Virginia,  as  soon  as  they 
were  in  their  rooms,  "  how  do  you  feel  ?  " 

"  About  the  size  of  a  thimble." 

"  Just  think !  we've  been  here  six  months  and 
never  had  an  impertinent  or  familiar  thing  done 
to  us  by  a  man.  Of  course  we  have  been  very 
prudent ;  but,  after  all,  we  would  not  have  had 
this  experience  if  we  had  not  seemed  poor  and 
friendless.  Doesn't  it  seem  dreadful  that  the 
more  one  is  down  in  the  world  there  are  men 
who  will  take  advantage  of  it  ?  Well,  we  have 
learned  our  little  lesson  as  to  Paris.  I  shall 


34:  .     The  Violin  Lady 

never  forget  that  older  man's  horrid  face !  If 
you  hadn't  seen  the  doctor ! "  Virginia  shud- 
dered. 

"  Of  course  we  could  have  won  out,"  Eliz- 
abeth said  confidently,  "  but  the  publicity  would 
have  been  horrible.  Well,  we  sinned  through 
ignorance;  do  let  us  forget  it." 

"  Do  you  realize  that  we  haven't  had  a  bite 
to  eat  since  our  early  breakfast?"  Virginia 
asked.  ""  Don't  let  us  go  out  for  our  dinner 
this  evening.  I  have  enough  here  for  a  good 
lunch.  Then  early  to  bed,  for  I  never  was 
more  tired." 

The  next  evening  Virginia,  Elizabeth,  Ma- 
dame Bernard  and  Adrien  entered  a  large  and 
pleasant  room  at  the  Hotel  Dieu.  It  was  half 
full  of  children ;  some  in  wheel  chairs,  some  on 
couches,  a  few  able  to  walk  a  little.  The  doc- 
tor and  several  nurses  were  present.  Eliza- 
beth played  Ludovic's,  "  Joyous  Bird,"  D'Oro's 
"  Amusette  "  and  "  A  Fairy  Tale,"  also  "  Tarn 
o'  Shanter."  Virginia  gave  a  medley  of  the 
world's  most  popular  airs;  the  "  Swan  Song," 


For  MatUlde  35 

and  some  of  her  old  Irish  fiddler's  dance  music. 
The  children  applauded  and  laughed  delight- 
edly. Then  a  simple  supper  was  served,  and, 
at  its  close,  Virginia  began  in  a  sprightly  man- 
ner telling  a  story. 

"  There  was  once  a  boy  who  sang  " —  then 
she  and  Elizabeth  played  "  Yankee  Doodle," 
and  eager  voices  plainly  American  called  out 
shrilly  the  name ;  "  he  was  going  to  see  a  girl 
whose  name  was " —  here  the  two  played 
"  Annie  Laurie,"  and  one  guessed  the  name ; 
"  then  he  met  a  French  boy  who  sang  " —  here 
they  played  "  The  Marseillaise,"  a  chorus  of 
replies.  The  rest  of  the  airs  were  French,  and 
most  of  them  somebody  guessed.  Virginia 
was  careful  to  heed  the  doctor's  warning  to  be 
brief.  As  she  ended,  the  nurses  carrying  small 
baskets  distributed  simple  gifts  and  an  orange 
to  each  child.  Elizabeth  and  Virginia  talked 
to  the  happy  little  ones.  Then  a  pretty  chime 
of  bells  rang  as  a  signal  for  bed  and  they  were 
all  hurried  off,  laughing,  tired,  joyous.  It  was 
not  until  then  that  the  doctor  brought  forward 


36  The  Violin  Lady 

a  slender  sixteen-year-old  girl  whom  he  intro- 
duced as  "  my  daughter,  Heloise." 

"  I  wish  I  might  play  like  you,"  she  said  at 
once  to  Virginia.  "  I  never  heard  violin  play- 
ing I  liked  as  much.  But  it  must  take  a  lot  of 
hard  work,  and  I  hate  work.  My  father  says 
you  and  your  friend  are  here  all  alone  and  do 
as  well  when  you  are  not  watched  as  if  you 
were.  Are  all  American  girls  like  that?  My 
father  told  me  about  Mathilde  and  how  you 
want  to  help  her.  I  don't  like  her  class. 
They  are  so  uninteresting.  Luise  de  Bonaven- 
ture  —  her  father  is  a  comte  —  says  that  such 
people  do  not  feel  as  we  do.  She  says  that  the 
lower  classes  are  born  to  serve  the  upper." 

"  What  is  my  girl  telling  you  ?  "  Doctor 
de  Thevenau's  voice  broke  in  on  his  daughter's 
views,  and  Virginia  thought  he  looked  anxious, 
though  he  laughed  as  he  spoke. 

They  chatted  a  few  moments ;  then  the  doc- 
tor slipped  into  Elizabeth's  handbag  some 
money.  "  I  am  under  obligations  to  you  both  ; 
it  was,  thanks  to  you  and  Mademoiselle  the 


For  Mathilde  37 

Violin  Lady,  a  big  success ;  not  too  much,  just 
enough.  The  youngsters  will  talk  of  it  all  to- 
morrow." 

Adrien  was  wide  awake  and  excited.  His 
uncle  had  sent  him  a  new  blue  suit,  and  he  had 
a  picture-book  and  wonderful  top  from  the  bas- 
ket. 

"  I  never  went  to  a  real  party  before,"  he 
said,  in  his  sweet  high  voice;  "  and  I  never  rode 
in  an  automobile  in  all  my  life."  It  seemed  to 
him,  as  they  rolled  over  the  smooth  streets, 
that  it  was  a  fairy  chariot,  and  he  wished  it 
might  never  come  to  an  end.  He  could  not 
even  talk.  He  lay  back  and  enjoyed  it  to  the 
full.  His  mother  looked  younger  and  prettier 
than  ever.  She  was  happier  than  she  had  been 
since  her  husband's  death.  Every  one  was  so 
kind  to  her  boy,  and  the  doctor  had  just  told 
her  there  was  every  hope  that  he  would  in  time 
walk  as  well  as  any  one.  Virginia  and  Eliza- 
beth were  happy  because  with  the  twenty  dol- 
lars from  the  doctor  Mathilde's  Christmas  gift 
had  swelled  to  thirty-five  dollars.  And  the 


38  The  Violin  Lady 

next  day  was  Christmas,  and  even  if  they  were 
in  a  strange  land  far  away  from  loved  ones, 
Christmas  never  could  be  an  unhappy  or  dull 
day.  "  For  unto  you  is  born  this  day  in  the 
city  of  David  a  Savior  who  is  Christ  the 
Lord." 


CHAPTER  III 

HOLIDAY  TIME 

THE  girls  were  wakened  next  morning 
by  Adrien's  voice  outside  their  door. 
"A  Merry  Christmas  to  the  Violin 
Lady  and  the  Talking  Lady,"  he  cried.  They 
called  back,  but  by  the  time  Elizabeth  had 
opened  the  door  they  could  hear  his  crutch  fly- 
ing over  the  bare  floor. 

Fastened  to  the  knob  was  a  bunch  of  scarlet 
cannas  and  ferns. 

"  The  dear  child !  They've  gone  without 
something  to  give  us  that!"  cried  Virginia. 
"  We  will  have  breakfast  at  once  to  get  to  the 
half-past  eight  service.  I  bought  muffins  of 
Lemaire,  and  they  only  have  to  be  warmed,  and 
do  let  us  have  coffee  for  Christmas;  and,  best 
of  all,  Adrien's  flowers." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  Elizabeth  dis- 


40  The  Violin  Lady 

sented.  "  I'm  too  hungry  for  smells  to  nour- 
ish me!" 

"  Merry  Christmas !  "  cried  Virginia.  "  We 
forget  everything  when  we  get  to  talking." 

The  little  round  table  looked  very  dainty  and 
pretty  with  fresh  linen,  the  few  silver  pieces 
the  girls  had  brought  from  home,  the  cheap 
but  pretty  blue  ware  and  Adrien's  flowers.  At 
each  place  was  a  mysterious  ribbon-tied  bundle. 

After  grace,  which  they  always  said  stand- 
ing, they  opened  the  packages. 

Virginia's  bundle  contained  two  pairs  of  long 
gloves  she  needed  and  a  pretty  piece  of  neck- 
wear. 

When  Elizabeth  opened  hers  she  gave  a  gasp 
of  surprise. 

"  Virginia  Hammond,  when  in  the  world  did 
you  ever  do  this  ?  " 

"  When  you  took  your  lessons ;  and  twice  you 
nearly  caught  me." 

"  This "  was  a  pretty  white  apron,  neck- 
wear and  a  hand-made  handkerchief. 

"  I  couldn't  buy  much,  and  I  heard  you  say 


Holiday  Time  41 

your  stock  was  low  so  I  tried  to  put  in  small 
stitches,  and  anyhow  they're  all  big  wishes  for 
you,  'Lizbeth." 

There  was  a  choke  in  the  throats  of  both  for 
their  hearts  were  over  the  sea. 

"  Don't  let  the  muffins  get  cold,"  Virginia 
laughed  a  queer  little  laugh.  "  I  was  so  wor- 
ried over  my  shabby  gloves,  but  you  always  fill 
the  breach,  'Lizbeth." 

"  Not  half  as  often  as  I  want  to,  if  you  only 
wouldn't  be  so  independent !  " 

They  had  to  hurry  to  get  off,  but  first  they 
threw  over  the  transom  in  the  room  down  the 
hall  the  toys  for  Adrien  and  a  small  package 
for  Madame  Bernard.  They  had  joined  forces 
in  getting  a  pretty  picture  for  Madame  Vic- 
toire.  This  they  put  inside  her  door  with  a 
Christmas  card.  Then  off  to  the  American 
Episcopal  Church  on  the  Rue  de  1'Alma.  The 
church  was  trimmed  for  the  occasion;  the 
beautiful  service  and  music  brought  healing 
and  comfort  to  the  two  American  girls  with 
memories  of  the  home  Christmas  so  different 


42  The  Violin  Lady 

from  this  one.  There  was  no  sermon  till  the 
eleven  o'clock  service.  They  met  a  few  people 
they  knew,  and  the  rector,  Mr.  Ellsworth, 
talked  with  them  so  cordially  it  warmed  their 
hearts.  A  friend  of  Aunt  Henrietta's,  Mrs. 
Addison  Brown,  took  them  home  in  her  car. 

"  They  make  so  much  more  of  New  Year's 
than  of  Christmas  here,"  Elizabeth  observed 
as  they  went  to  their  rooms ;  "  and  with  us  it 
is  just  the  opposite.  I  am  so  glad  that  I  was 
brought  up  to  keep  Christmas.  In  spite  of  the 
abuse  of  it,  and  all  that  is  written  and  said, 
I  would  not  have  it  one  bit  less  important ;  then 
our  church  keeps  it  with  worship  and  the 
Catholics  do  —  I  wonder  why  all  churches  do 
not.  Oh,  Virginia,  look!  " 

There,  on  the  table  in  the  front  room,  was 
their  mail.  They  had  been  greatly  disap- 
pointed that  nothing  had  come  the  day  before. 

They  threw  off  their  wraps  and  with  eager 
hands  opened  the  letters. 

From  Elizabeth's  home  letter  fell  a  big  check 
and  from  Virginia's  smaller  ones  from  Ma  and 


Holiday  Time  43 

her  father.  There  were  excellent  photographs 
of  Bob  and  Janet.  Ma  wrote  of  the  homely 
details  of  their  every-day  simple  life;  of 
Lucinda  Dildine's  new  hat  and  necklace  of  blue 
glass  beads  —  Lucinda  was  the  Hammonds'  all 
around  steady  helper  and  a  character.  Of  the 
children's  doings,  of  the  Flahertys,  Virginia's 
devoted  Irish  friends,  of  her  father's  new 
horse,  of  her  sister,  Miss  Marshall's,  promised  , 
visit  over  Christmas.  Virginia  devoured  the 
pages  with  an  appetite  that  was  insatiable. 
There  were  short  letters  to  each  from  Alan 
Kingsbury,  the  friend  of  Virginia's  earliest  rec- 
ollections. He  was  employed  by  Elizabeth's 
father  in  his  immense  department  store  and 
was  rising  rapidly.  He  inclosed  photographs 
of  himself.  "  Father  writes  that  Alan  is  prov- 
ing a  wonderful  business  man,"  Elizabeth  said. 
"  What  a  fortunate  thing  that  through  you  he 
came  when  he  did !  " 

"  I  don't  know :  I  never  quite  approved  of 
my  share  in  that  deal,"  Virginia  declared,  "  if 
it  did  bring  happy  results."  She  was  still  not 


44  The  Violin  Lady 

quite  satisfied  that  it  was  through  her  betrayal 
of  Theodore's  plans  to  his  mother  that  he  had 
gone  to  Mr.  Charles  Black's  Wisconsin  ranch 
where  Alan  was  trying  to  force  himself  to  be- 
come a  farmer  and  Alan  had  taken  Thee's 
place  in  the  store. 

There  was  also  a  letter  from  Theodore  which 
ended  in  these  words :  "I  know  the  ban  I'm 
under,  Virginia,  not  to  mention  a  certain  sub- 
ject; but  you  might  let  a  fellow  off  Christmas 
time.  Don't  you  ever  feel  a  wavering  of  that 
strong  self-reliant  mind  of  yours  ?  Oh,  if  you 
only  were  the  dependable  vine  clinging  to  the 
oak,  and  I  were  the  oak!  (You  didn't  say  I 
couldn't  call  myself  an  oak.)  Don't  you  ever 
feel  homesick  and  longing  for  old  friends? 
Doesn't  your  beloved  violin  ever  pall  on  you? 
I  don't  believe  any  of  these  things  ever  happen 
or  will  happen,  but  oh,  how  I  pray  they  may, 
because  then  you  —  there,  I  didn't  write 
it." 

"  I'm  glad  he  doesn't  see  into  my  heart  this 
blessed  day,"  thought  Virginia.  "  I  don't 


Holiday  Time  45 

want  love  —  that  kind  —  but  oh,  I  do  want 
home  and  old  friends !  " 

Theodore,  now  on  a  ranch  of  his  own  next 
to  the  Blacks,  was  —  or  as  Virginia  insisted, 
fancied  that  he  was  —  in  love  with  Virginia 
who  was  wedded  to  her  violin  and  could  not 
understand  why  girls  and  boys  wanted  to  fall  in 
love  and  marry  when  life  had  so  much  else. 

"  Thee  writes,"  Elizabeth  said  suddenly,  "  so 
much  about  the  Blacks.  They  certainly  have 
been  lovely  to  him.  He  is  to  spend  Christmas 
with  them.  He  seems  to  admire  Genevieve  as 
much  as  ever.  I  am  always  expecting  the  an- 
nouncement of  their  engagement." 

"  What  of  Alan?  We  used  to  think  he  was 
very  strong  in  that  direction.  I  am  sure  he 
never  let  up  on  his  praise  of  all  her  virtues." 

"  Yes,  he  likes  her  immensely.  I  am  afraid 
really,  Virginia,  that  some  day  soon  it  may 
come  to  a  crisis.  Miss  Black  can't  marry  them 
both.  One  must  be  taken  and  the  other  left, 
and  if  Thee  were  left  it  would  nearly  kill  him, 
poor  boy!  He  has  always  had  the  things  he 


46  The  Violin  Lady 

wanted  most.  She  must  be  a  charming  crea- 
ture to  attract  two  men  like  Alan  and  Thee 
when  they  know  such  girls  as  —  ahem !  —  well, 
you  and  me,  for  instance." 

There  was  a  rap  at  the  door  and  there  stood 
Madame  Victoire  in  her  Sunday  best,  smiling 
and  beneficent,  in  her  hands  a  generous  bowl 
of  delicious  salad. 

"  A  merry  Christmas  for  your  lunch,"  she 
beamed  upon  them.  "  I  am  going  out.  A 
bright  day,  young  ladies." 

"  Oh,  let  us  take  the  Bernards  the  salad  I 
made  and  divide  our  cake  and  nuts  with  them." 
said  Virginia  after  she  left. 

"  Do ! "  agreed  Elizabeth  as  Virginia  sped 
off  on  her  errand. 

Considerably  brightened  by  their  letters  the 
girls  enjoyed  their  luncheon.  At  three  they 
were  going  to  the  Bois  to  see  the  glass  of  fash- 
ion and  the  mold  of  form  with  two  American 
girls  they  had  met  at  Mrs.  Kirkland's  and  who 
invited  them  to  go  with  them  in  their  cousin's 
automobile. 


Holiday  Time  47 

It  was  a  gay  sight  —  the  machines,  a  few  car- 
riages, filled  with  women  in  beautiful  toilettes. 
The  girls,  Hildreth  and  Marion  Trask  from 
Baltimore,  were  agreeable,  pleasant  company, 
and  their  cousin,  a  young  married  woman,  Mrs. 
Archer,  was  animated  and  full  of  life.  As 
they  paused  to  watch  the  passing  show  several 
young  men  friends  of  the  Archers  joined  them 
and  were  introduced.  It  was  a  pleasant  diver- 
sion. 

i 

On  their  return  an  immense  box  addressed 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Jordan  greeted  their  vision. 
Opening  it  Elizabeth  exclaimed  with  incredu- 
lous scorn :  "  Virginia  Hammond !  It  is 
from  Raoul!  He  actually  thinks  I'm  coquet- 
ting with  him!  He  is  impossible.  Read 
that ! "  Elizabeth  handed  her  friend  a  card 
on  which  was  written  in  a  fine  hand :  ' '  I  am 
still  awaiting  your  pleasure,  Mademoiselle; 
but  even  my  patience  is  not  without  final- 
ity.— R.» 

Virginia  laughed.  "  In  spite  of  his  aristoc- 
racy, Monsieur's  skin  is  of  a  thickness;  but 


48  The  Violin  Lady 

courage,  mon  enfant,  all  things  come  to  an 
end!" 

"I  shall  send  it  back!" 

"No!"  cried  Virginia,  shamelessly.  "He 
owes  you  that  much  for  all  he  has  made  you 
suffer.  And  I  ...  I  adore  bonbons ! " 

It  ended  in  their  attacking  the  candy,  which 
was  truly  enchanting,  Virginia  declared. 

In  the  midst  of  their  feast  a  young  girl  with 
a  pleasant,  homely  face  appeared. 

"  I  am  Maria  Dupin,"  she  announced. 
"  Nannette  Capon  sent  me.  She  said  you 
wished  to  send  something  to  my  mother.  I 
could  not  come  earlier  as  we  had  company  at 
the  house,  and  I  am  just  off  now." 

Virginia  ran  into  the  next  room  for  the 
money,  which  she  had  put  in  a  small  leather 
bag. 

"  Hadn't  you  better  conceal  it?  It  is  money, 
and  you  may  be  robbed,"  she  said,  smiling. 

But  Maria  took  it  seriously.  "  I  shall  run 
no  risks,"  she  said,  as  she  slipped  down  her  neat 
stocking  and  put  the  bag  in  it. 


Holiday  Time  49 

"  There!  I  defy  any  thief  to  get  that." 
She  made  a  curtsey.  "  I  hope  many  blessings 
may  come  to  both  your  highnesses.  My 
mother  cried  for  joy  over  the  money  Nannette 
brought;  she  says  she  never  knew  such  kind- 
ness. She  is  sure  that  God  himself  sent  such 
wonderfully  big  hearts  from  that  big  country, 
America !  here  to  help  her  in  her  trouble." 

The  girls  filled  a  box  with  part  of  Raoul's 
candy  and  their  own  nuts,  and  sent  her  off  in  a 
glow  of  happiness. 

"  Now,  Virginia,"  Elizabeth  said ;  "  it  is  time 
to  dress  for  dinner.  You  promised  me  that  I 
should  have  my  way  about  it.  We  are  to  go 
in  full  dress." 

Virginia  opened  her  eyes.  "  How  mysteri- 
ous and  thrilling!  " 

"  The  car  will  be  here  at  seven,  Mademoi- 
selle." 

"  Such  elegance !  Why  spoil  my  taste  for  the 
simple  life?"  Virginia  demanded. 

The  two  were  ready  to  the  minute,  Virginia 
in  a  black  lace  over  burnt  orange  silk,  her  neck 


50  The  Violin  Lady 

and  arms  bare,  Elizabeth  in  a  pale  blue  silk 
trimmed  in  white  lace.  Both  wore  long  white 
gloves,  and  Virginia  the  fur-lined  wrap  her 
aunt  had  given  her  in  the  days  of  her  luxury. 

Just  as  the  car  drove  up,  Madame  Victoire 
in  her  best  black  silk  with  new  lace  neck  fix- 
ings, joined  the  girls. 

"  Behold  our  chaperon,"  murmured  Eliza- 
beth. 

Virginia  fairly  gasped  as  she  heard  her  order 
"  To  Voisin's."  It  was  one  of  the  finest  and 
most  fashionable  of  the  city  restaurants.  As 
they  entered  the  beautiful  rooms  they  were 
already  well  filled  with  women  and  men  in  eve- 
ning dress. 

No  sooner  were  they  seated  when  a  tall  hand- 
some man  came  to  Virginia. 

"  This  is  Miss  Hammond,  I  believe,"  he  said 
in  English.  "  I  am  Mr.  Archer ;  the  Trask 
girls  and  my  wife  with  a  small  party  are  here, 
and  they  wonder  if  it  might  not  be  arranged 
to  have  you  join  us,  as  '  the  more  the  merrier,' 
if  you  are  willing." 


Holiday  Time  51 

It  was  the  work  of  a  few  moments  to  find 
a  larger  table.  The  girls  were  introduced  to 
a  pretty  French  girl,  Mademoiselle  Fredin, 
two  American  men,  and  two  Frenchmen. 
They  had  a  merry  dinner.  The  music  was  in- 
spiring; the  company  gay  and  full  of  fun,  the 
supper  a  chef's  dream.  Madame  Victoire, 
smiling,  gracious,  but  not  talkative,  appeared 
very  creditably.  She  was,  to  put  it  in  plain 
American,  having  the  time  of  her  life  and 
could  hardly  wait  for  next  day  to  tell  some 
of  her  cronies  of  this  wonderful  ending  to  her 
Christmas  day. 

The  rest  of  the  week  passed  happily  if  un- 
eventfully. The  girls  read  some  new  novels, 
went  out  sight-seeing,  wrote  letters  and  saw 
a  few  friends. 

Mrs.  Archer  invited  Virginia  and  Elizabeth 
to  dinner  on  New  Year's  day  and  this  would 
end  their  playtime. 

They  looked  forward  to  the  Archer  dinner 
with  delightful  anticipations.  Once  Virginia 
would  have  taken  it  as  a  matter  of  course ;  but 


52  The  Violin  Lady 

now  it  was  a  novelty,  and  some  one  has  said 
that  novelty  spells  enchantment. 

The  evening  came  and  the  girls  were  as  eager 
as  children.  Virginia  after  some  deliberation 
decided  upon  her  yellow  silk,  which  had  been 
remodeled  with  black  velvet  and  some  cream 
lace.  Elizabeth  declared  it  was  prettier  than 
when  new.  Elizabeth  wore  a  soft  white  silk 
with  girdle  and  trimmings  of  sea-green.  The 
girls  were  having  a  rather  heated  discussion 
because  Virginia  insisted  on  dividing  with  Eliz- 
abeth the  expense  of  a  taxi,  when  the  dispute 
was  ended  by  Mrs.  Archer  telephoning  that 
she  would  send  for  them  and  take  them 
home. 

Madame  Victoire  and  the  Bernards  came  in 
to  inspect  them  and  their  toilets  and  wish  them 
Godspeed. 

"  The  Violin  Lady's  necklace  is  like  big  tear- 
drops strung  together,"  Adrien  observed.  It 
was  one  of  Aunt  Henrietta's  former  gifts  of 
selected  baroque  pearls  with  squares  of  oddly 
designed  dull  silver. 


Hotiday  Time  53 

Adrien  was  hugging  a  good-sized  Teddy 
Bear  the  girls  had  given  him  Christmas. 

"  I  wonder/'  said  the  boy,  looking  from  one 
to  the  other,  "  whether  the  Prince  will  choose 
the  Talking  Lady  or  the  Violin  Lady." 

"  We're  not  going  to  meet  royalty,"  laughed 
Elizabeth. 

"  In  the  fairy  tales  there  are  princes  at  all 
parties;  and  they  choose  the  prettiest.  But 
when  both  are  so  pretty  what  will  hap- 
pen?" 

"  Adrien,"  said  Virginia,  "  you'll  be  a  dip- 
lomat or  a  strategist  some  day,"  as  she  gave 
him  and  the  bear  a  hug. 

"  No,  I'm  going  to  be  a  boy  always,"  Adrien 
maintained,  stoutly. 

"  Mademoiselle  Hammond's  dress  is  of  a 
style  unique,  Mademoiselle  Jordan's  simple  and 
charming,"  Madame  Victoire  pronounced  with 
her  expansive  smile.  There  were  a  dozen 
guests  at  the  dinner.  The  first  one  that  met 
their  eyes  was  Raoul  the  Aristocrat,  as  they 
had  dubbed  him;  while  seated  by  his  side  was 


54  The  Violin  Lady 

Alec  Forbes,  a  former  University  man  whom 
they  knew  well  when  they  were  at  Exeter. 
The  surprise  was  mutual. 

"  I  pictured  you  at  work  at  home,  not  idling 
in  demoralizing  Paris,"  Elizabeth  greeted  him. 

"Why  work  when  one  can  get  enough  to 
keep  one  from  starving  tramping?  It's  cer- 
tainly more  interesting,"  retorted  the  other. 

As  they  chatted,  Virginia  could  not  resist 
stealing  a  glance  at  Raoul,  and  was  startled  to 
notice  a  look  bent  on  Elizabeth  and  Alec  so 
really  malevolent  that  it  filled  her  with  dismay 
amounting  to  fear. 

"I  wish  he  had  never  fancied  Elizabeth!" 
she  thought.  "  His  is  a  small,  narrow  nature 
which  with  his  colossal  conceit  may  make  him 
an  enemy  not  to  be  treated  lightly." 

The  Archers  lived  near  Aunt  Henrietta's 
apartment  in  the  American  colony.  Of  course 
there  were  the  Trask  girls,  and  a  sweet-faced 
English  girl  in  a  dark  blue  dress  trimmed  in 
two  shades  of  heliotrope  which  Elizabeth  de- 
clared gave  her  the  toothache. 


Holiday  Time  55 

A  Monsieur  Descartes  took  Virginia  out  to 
dinner;  young  Forbes,  Elizabeth. 

Mrs.  Archer  was  a  Carlisle  woman,  and  she 
had  many  questions  to  ask  Alec,  as  he  had  been 
visiting  there. 

"  Did  you  see  anything  of  Alan  Kings- 
bury?  "  asked  Elizabeth,  when  the  talk  was  less 
general. 

"  Indeed  I  did ;  Alan  and  I  are  quite  chummy. 
He  is  a  straight,  fine  fellow.  Your  father 
jokes  him  about  his  interests  in  the  West. 
You  know  his  trick  of  blushing?  Well,  he 
hasn't  outgrown  it.  I  fancy  that  black  is  his 
favorite  color.  He  showed  me  her  picture. 
She  isn't  a  beauty,  but  her  face  is  most  attrac- 
tive and  strong." 

Virginia,  who  was  on  his  right,  could  not  but 
hear  the  last. 

"  Thee  must  marry  Genevieve,"  she  found 
herself  declaring  to  herself ;  "  they  are  suited 
to  each  other,  and  only  then  will  Thee  get  away 
from  this  silly  idea  of  fancying  me.  Alan  isn't 
suited  to  her.  Oh,  dear !  life  is  a  mix-up.  I 


56  The  Violin  Lady 

wish  that  I  might  play  Fate  for  a  few  months ; 
would  I  make  or  mar  ?  " 

As  she  turned  to  reply  to  Raoul  D'Artois  op- 
posite, Mrs.  Archer  asked  Elizabeth :  "  It 
must  have  been  a  keen  disappointment  to  your 
father,  Miss  Jordan,  to  have  your  brother 
choose  ranching  instead  of  carrying  on  his  own 
business?" 

"  Yes,  it  was ;  but  he  has  been  fortunate  in 
having  an  old  friend  of  Miss  Hammond's  to 
take  his  place,  Mr.  Kingsbury.  My  brother 
loves  ranch  life  and  could  never  have  made  a 
success  of  business,  while  his  substitute  is  a 
born  merchant.  Father  is  delighted  with 
him." 

Mrs.  Archer  looked  at  her  rather  curiously, 
Virginia  thought;  but  she  was  obliged  to  talk 
to  Monsieur  Descartes  who  interested  her. 
He  asked  her  all  kinds  of  questions  concerning 
America  about  which  he  seemed  to  have  the 
strangest  ideas. 

"  Is  it  true,  Mademoiselle,  that  you  carry 
your  democracy  so  far  that  you  meet  your 


Holiday  Time  57 

peasants  and  middle-class  socially  as  your 
equals?  Do  your  servants  eat  at  the  same 
table  with  the  mistress'  family  as  I  hear?  Do 
you  attend  college  with  your  brothers  and  share 
their  athletics  as  men  do  ?  Do  the  young  ladies 
of  the  upper  class  often  do  all  the  menial  tasks 
in  a  household?  Do  not  think  me  tiresome, 
but  I  am  greatly  interested  in  all  I  hear  of 
America." 

The  hostess  was  giving  the  signal  to  rise, 
so  Virginia  said  earnestly  if  hurriedly :  "  I 
believe  it  would  almost  repay  you  to  go  to  the 
other  side.  It  is  so  much  better  to  see  and  hear 
for  yourself  than  to  trust  to  others'  state- 
ments." 

"Just  what  I  am  contemplating;  my  father 
has  offered  to  send  me  on  a  little  business 
errand,  and  he  wants  me  to  see  your  big  forests, 
especially  one  called  the  Yellowstone  Park. 
Do  you  live  very  near  it  ?  " 

"  No,  but  it's  worth  the  journey  to  see  it." 

"  Is  it  very  far  from  Boston?  " 

"  Only  two  thousand  miles,  more  or  less ;  of 


58  The  Violin  Lady 

course  we  don't  think  much  of  that  little  dis- 
tance over  there." 

He  was  about  to  reply  when  Mr.  Archer 
said:  "There  is  barely  time  for  you  gentle- 
men to  join  me  in  the  smoking-room  before 
going  to  the  theater.  We  have  a  friend  whom 
we  think  has  produced  a  very  clever  little  play, 
'  The  Maid  of  Trieste,'  which  is  to  be  produced 
to-night  for  the  first  time  at  the  Gymnase. 
Mrs.  Archer  wishes  to  take  the  party." 

Virginia,  who  stood  near  Elizabeth,  could 
not  resist  giving  her  arm  a  squeeze,  she  was  so 
delighted. 

The  play  proved  a  charming  one  well  acted. 
They  had  a  little  supper  later  at  the  Glacier 
Neapolitain  noted  for  its  ices. 

It  was  considerably  after  midnight  when  the 
girls  were  set  down  at  their  door  by  the 
Archers. 

"  Dear  me,"  Virginia  exclaimed,  as  the  two 
entered  their  plain  little  rooms,  "  I  feel  like 
Cinderella!  Hasn't  it  been  a  lovely  evening, 
'Lizbeth?  Confess  you  are  repenting  of  your 


Holiday  Time  59 

Spartan  resolution  to  live  like  a  poor  working 
girl." 

"  You  must  think  me  a  quitter,"  Elizabeth 
declared,  but  her  voice  seemed  to  Virginia  a 
trifle  less  decided  than  usual. 

"  Virginia,"  she  turned  impulsively,  "  from 
what  Alec  told  me  I  believe  that  Alan  is  in 
love  with  Genevieve  Black  truly,  and  I  feel  it 
in  my  bones  that  he  will  win  out.  Poor  Thee !  " 

Virginia  said  nothing.  She  wondered,  as 
she  had  so  often,  what  Elizabeth  and  her 
mother,  whom  she  dearly  loved,  would  say  if 
they  knew  that  it  was  she  whom  Theodore 
loved,  or  persuaded  himself  he  did,  and  that 
she  who  thought  so  highly  of  him  had  refused 
him,  because  she  did  not  love  him.  It  did  seem 
strange,  she  supposed,  that  any  girl  could  re- 
fuse a  charming,  straight,  clean  fellow  like 
Theodore.  She  must  be  different,  for  she 
loved  her  violin  more  than  any  man  in  the  uni- 
verse. 

"  Elizabeth,  what  have  you  done  to  Raoul?  " 
she  demanded.  "  He  hardly  came  near  you." 


60  The  Violin  Lady 

"  I  wrote  him  a  note  that  even  penetrated 
his  shell  of  complacency.  I  wanted  to  let  him 
down  easily,  but  what  can  you  do  with  such  a 
man? 

" '  If  he  won't,  he  won't  and  there's  an  end  on't. 
So  'Lizbeth  has  to  squelch  it  by  sending  him  a  son't.'  " 

"  Oh,  'Lizbeth,  how  can  you  spout  such  ele- 
gant verse?  The  evening  has  gone  to  your 
head  even  if  you  didn't  take  wine.  Isn't  it  a 
boon  that  we  do  not  have  lessons  till  eleven  to- 
morrow? I  have  not  practiced  a  minute  to- 
day. This  ends  my  social  functions.  I  can 
have  good  times  but  I  can't  dissipate,  not  only 
for  financial  reasons  but  more  because  if  I 
did,  I  could  not  study  as  I  should.  Some  peo- 
ple say  you  cannot  combine  sentiment  and  busi- 
ness. I  know  you  cannot  combine  sassiety 
and  work;  at  least  I  cannot." 


CHAPTER  IV 

MUSIC   HATH    CHARMS 

THE  girls  were  at  lunch  the  next  day. 
Both  were  unusually  sober  and  quiet. 

"  I  would  say  you  were  blue,  Vir- 
ginia, if  I  didn't  know  that  you  scorned  such 
weakness !  "  Elizabeth  declared  at  last. 

"  I  am  afraid  it's  nothing  so  poetical  as  blue; 
it's  more  like  dark  gray  and  out  of  sorts,  which 
some  people  call  in  plain  English,  cross.  I 
never  knew  Camondreau  so  hard  to  please  and 
faultfinding.  I  had  practiced  a  difficult  etude 
and  exercise  until  I  was  sure  even  he  would 
be  almost  satisfied,  but  nothing  suited  him. 
He  flew  in  a  rage  and  told  me  that  my  brains 
were  in  my  feet;  that  I  played  as  if  I  were  a 
hurdy-gurdy.  Then  he  walked  the  floor  while 
I  went  over  a  new  etude,  and  at  the  end  he 
acted  as  if  he  had  not  heard  it;  instead  he  ex- 

61 


62  The  Violin  Lady 

ploded  again :  '  Beranger  threw  it  up  to  me 
that  I  hadn't  a  pupil  who  could  hold  a  candle 
to  a  young  woman  who  came  into  the  Cafe  de 
Paris  before  Christmas,  just  a  shabby,  poor, 
untrained  violinist,  but  such  playing!  and  in 
spite  of  her  dress  ' —  I  blush  to  repeat  it  — 
'  such  a  face !  I  asked  him  why  he  let  her  get 
away  without  giving  her  name  and  address, 
but  he  only  laughed  and  said  he  couldn't  be 
running  after  a  pretty  face  with  his  reputation ! 
I  would  take  her  if  Beranger's  rhapsody  were 
half  true,  and  make  of  her  a  world's  wonder. 
And  now  she  is  lost,  I  suppose.  She  has  prob- 
ably left  the  city !'" 

"  You  told  him  who  she  was,  didn't  you?  " 
Elizabeth  asked,  so  excited  she  stopped  eating 
to  stare  across  the  table  at  her  friend. 

"  I  started  to  but  he  shut  me  off  and  told 
me  to  go  and  next  time  he  would  be  in  a  better 
mood.  I  tell  you,  'Lizbeth,  I  was  so  incensed 
that  I  vowed  I  would  never  go  back,  but,  of 
course,  I  can't  afford  to  give  way  to  wrath  no 
matter  how  righteous  I  may  consider  it.  I 


Music  Hath  Charms  63 

must  make  good,  and  Camondreau  is  the  in- 
strument of  Heaven  which  is  to  lead  me  to  suc- 
cess!" 

"  I  only  wish  I  had  been  there,  I  would  have 
shouted  out  who  the  violinist  was  until  he  would 
have  had  to  listen !  "  cried  Elizabeth. 

"  Well,  I  was  so  humiliated  by  his  treatment 
of  me  that  I  wouldn't  insist.  Then,  I  am  not 
very  proud  of  that  incident  in  my  career  any- 
how. All  I  thought  of  was  to  put  a  mile  be- 
tween me  and  that  unreasonable  creature.  I 
threw  on  my  wraps,  seized  my  violin  and  was 
out  the  door  of  the  studio  before  you  could  say 
Jack  Robinson." 

"  I  don't  wonder ;  it's  a  shame  that  you  must 
bear  such  things." 

"  Well,  they  are  rare,  and  never  has  the  mas- 
ter been  like  that.  I  don't  believe  you  have  had 
an  hour  of  triumph  from  your  face." 

"  No,"  agreed  Elizabeth.  "  Monsieur 
Etienne  is  never  in  a  rage.  He  is  cool  and 
sarcastic.  '  So  much  feeling !  It  reminds  one 
of  an  image  of  stone,  Mademoiselle.  Behold 


64  The  Violin  Lady 

the  suppleness  of  your  fingers,  they  are  like  the 
puppets  in  a  Punch  and  Judy  show  I  saw  in 
London!  Your  improvement  is  rapid.  It 
must  give  you,  as  you  Americans  say,  the  head 
big/  So  he  ran  on.  I  was  terribly  afraid  I 
would  play  the  baby  instead  of  the  piano,  and 
cry,  but  I  made  the  effort  of  my  life  and  downed 
the  flood-gates.  I  tried  to  think  that  his  vaca- 
tion disagreed  with  him,  that  he  had  dyspepsia ; 
but  I,  too,  wish  I  might  never  see  him  again, 
but,  I  know,  he  is  an  excellent  teacher.  Oh, 
Virginia,  do  let  us  go  to  the  Louvre  this  after- 
noon :  my  treat.  I'm  extra  rich  now;  do  let  us 
run  off  this  once." 

"  You  take  me  at  my  weak  moment :  I  should 
refuse,  but  the  flesh  is  weak.  I  never  was 
more  grateful:  I  shall  practice  hard  this  eve- 
ning and  early  in  the  morning  to  make  up. 
Come,  let  us  do  the  work  in  two  winks  of  a  par- 
rot's eye." 

"  I  can't  understand,"  Elizabeth  went  on,  as 
she  wiped  the  dishes  vigorously,  "  why  Mon- 
sieur Etienne  is  never  called  simply  Etienne 


Music  Hath  Charms  65 

and  Camondreau  never  has  the  Monsieur  be- 
fore his  name." 

Virginia,  in  mock  terror,  backed  away  to  the 
limit  of  their  tiny  kitchen  as  she  ventured  in  a 
whisper :  "  Is  it  not  because  Camondreau  is  so 
great?  He  is  Le  Camondreau,  the  only  one." 

Elizabeth  laughed.  They  had  had  many 
spirited  arguments  over  the  attractive  merits 
of  their  teachers,  but  to-day,  as  she  declared, 
she  felt  "  too  put  out  to  fight  any  battle  for 
Monsieur." 

The  next  lesson  day  was  Saturday.  The 
girls  had  their  former  hours,  Elizabeth  at  ten, 
Virginia  at  half-past  one.  Elizabeth  walked 
down  to  meet  her  chum,  anxious  to  see  how  the 
land  lay.  Virginia  smiled  at  sight  of  her.  She 
slipped  her  free  arm  through  hers. 

"  Camondreau  is  the  limit,"  she  declared, 
laughing.  "  I  was  barely  inside  the  door  when 
he  shook  his  finger  at  me  and  laughed  heartily. 
'What  shall  one  do  to  a  young  woman  who 
pulls  the  wool  over  the  eyes  of  men?  If  you 
were  one  of  my  country  women  you  should  go 


66  The  Violin  Lady 

to  jail  or  a  convent,  but ' —  he  shrugged  — 
'  what  is  one  to  do  with  these  crazy  Ameri- 
cans ?  '  '  What  do  you  mean,  Monsieur  ?  '  I 
asked  with  dignity,  though  I  know  I  turned  as 
red  as  fire.  '  Somebody  told/  he  cried  like  a 
boy  instead  of  a  white-haired  man.  '  I  was  la- 
menting to  the  great  doctor  of  my  losing  track 
of  Beranger's  find.  He  let  me  rave  a  while, 
then  he  vowed  me  to  secrecy  and  told  me  the 
story.' 

"  I  never  saw  him  in  such  spirits,"  Virginia 
went  on;  "  he  praised  me  to  the  skies,  so  that 
I  found  courage  to  ask  him  to  listen  while  I 
played  him  something." 

"Yes,  that  is  what  I  wanted  to  hear;  oh, 
Virginia,  what  did  he  say?  " 

"  He  listened  with  the  closest  attention,  and 
when  I  ended  I  was  really  shocked  to  see  tears 
in  his  keen  old  eyes. 

"  '  It  is  from  the  heart;  strange  that  I  never 
heard  it.  The  air  is  charming  and  at  times 
pathetic.  Who  is  the  composer?  He  should 
be  better  known.'  '  It  is  I,  Monsieur,'  I  stam- 


Music  Hath  Charms  67 

mered  like  a  little  girl,  'Lizbeth.  'What? 
Is  this  true  ?  Have  you  published  it  ?  Where 
is  the  manuscript  ? '  'At  my  rooms/  I  said. 
Then  he  urged  its  publication  '  at  once/  He 
offered  to  see  to  it  himself.  '  They  will  cheat 
you/  he  told  me.  '  Women  are  always  robbed. 
It  is  a  gem/  he  added ; '  not  so  difficile  as  touch- 
ing, lovely,  appealing.  Ah,  Mademoiselle, 
Paula  Van  Buren  was  right  when  she  said  you 
had  the  gift!'" 

"  And  the  title?  Did  he  like  that?  "  Eliza- 
beth asked  eagerly. 

"  I  rather  dreaded  to  tell  him  when  he  said : 
'  What  have  you  called  it  ? '  But  I  faltered  out 
the  words :  '  The  Coming  of  the  King/  Yet 
even  that  he  did  not  criticise.  '  Bring  me  the 
manuscript  at  once/  he  ordered." 

"  How  fine  that  he  will  see  to  its  publication! 
I  know  it  will  be  a  success !  Just  think  of  your 
being  able  to  compose!  Well,  if  I  can't  be  a 
genius  myself  it's  next  best  to  live  with 
one!" 

"  How   absurd   you   are,    'Lizbeth  J "  cried 


68  The  Violin  Lady 

Virginia.  "  But  oh,  it  has  made  me  happy ! 
I  tried  not  to  let  myself  feel  so  down  at  the  last 
lesson;  I  told  myself  that,  after  all,  Camon- 
dreau  was  a  mere  man,  and  subject  to  whims 
and  moods;  but  I  confess  that  a  terrible  fear 
seized  me ;  I  wondered  if  all  my  struggles  were 
for  nothing;  if  I  were,  after  all,  a  nobody." 

"  I  hate  Camondreau !  "  Elizabeth  exclaimed 
with  sudden  vehemence.  "  No  man  because  he 
is  a  celebrity  and  a  genius  has  any  right  to  lose 
control  of  himself  whenever  he  feels  like  it. 
'  No  one  is  a  law  to  one's  self/  A  nice  world 
it  would  be  if  it  were  full  of  Camondreaus." 

"That's  gospel  truth,  'Lizbeth  dear;  but  I 
love  Camondreau.  I  am  in  love  with  all  the 
world  to-day.  I  am  going  to  work  my  head 
off ;  I  must  win  out ;  I  am  going  to  do  what  my 
own  dear  mother  would  want  me  to  do :  use  my 
grandmother's  legacy  to  the  utmost." 

"  You  will,  too,  Virginia ;  I  have  always  been 
sure  of  it.  You  play  now  as  well  as  a  profes- 
sional musician.  Next  year  will  be  the  test. 
You  will  see  then  when  you  play  to  big  houses 


Music  Hath  Charms  69 

that  you  are  truly  the  Violin  Lady  of  the 
world!" 

The  girls  were  in  their  rooms.  Virginia,  her 
eyes  shining,  whirled  Elizabeth  about  as  a  "  re- 
lief to  feelings,"  as  Mary  Gary  would  say. 

"  You  are  the  dearest  chum,  'Lizbeth,  a  girl 
ever  had.  What  I  shall  ever  do  without  you 
when  you  go  back  I  don't  know !  " 

There  was  a  rap  on  the  door,  sharp,  impera- 
tive. Virginia  opening  it  found  herself  face 
to  face  with  Doctor  de  Thevenau.  He  looked 
pale  and  unsmiling. 

"  Miss  Hammond,  will  you  come  with  me? 
I  want  you  to  play  for  a  friend.  Do  you  know 
a  few  things  without  your  notes?  Can  you 
come  at  once?" 

Virginia  gave  a  decided  affirmative  to  both 
questions.  After  a  few  hasty  touches  to  her 
toilet  and  a  word  of  explanation  to  Elizabeth 
she  found  herself  in  the  doctor's  machine. 

Virginia  stole  a  glance  at  the  man's  face,  so 
unlike  the  one  she  knew.  It  was  grave,  tense, 
absorbed. 


70  The  Violin  Lady 

At  last  he  spoke:  "We  are  going  to  the 
home  of  the  Due  d'Angouleme.  His  sister, 
Madame  de  Campanie,  is  in  a  serious  state  men- 
tally. Her  only  child  was  killed  instantly  in 
an  automobile  accident  a  few  months  ago  and 
she  has  not  shed  a  tear.  We  have  tried  every- 
thing, but  she  sits  in  her  great  chair  looking  at 
everything  with  unseeing  eyes,  her  face  calm, 
stoical,  rigid.  Her  brother,  the  Due,  said  yes- 
terday :  '  I  wish  I  knew  of  a  good  violinist ; 
Emilie  has  always  been  so  fond  of  the.  violin. 
There's  just  a  chance  that  it  might  prove  the 
magician's  wand  to  touch  her  heart  and  unseal 
the  pent-up  tears.  She  says  she  always  feels 
like  crying  if  it  is  well  played/  Then,  Made- 
moiselle, I  thought  of  you.  I  was  sure  you 
would  be  glad  to  use  your  gift  in  so  humane  a 
cause.  God  grant  you  may  be  successful !  " 

Virginia  could  not  speak,  but  there  was  no 
need.  They  were  slowing  down  before  a  spa- 
cious house.  Silently  the  doctor  helped  her  out 
and  led  her  to  the  entrance.  Before  they  could 
ring  the  bell  the  large  doors  were  thrown  back 


Music  Hath  Charms  71 

and  they  passed  within.  Virginia  was  con- 
scious of  exquisite  statuary  and  paintings  in 
the  large  hall.  At  the  right  a  heavy  velvet 
portiere  was  pushed  back  by  the  doctor's  vigor- 
ous arm  and  the  girl  found  herself  in  a  beauti- 
ful room,  all  soft  browns  and  dull  yellows.  A 
tall,  distinguished-looking  man  —  the  Due  — 
came  forward  and  said  a  few  words  of  greet- 
ing. A  woman  of  perhaps  forty,  though  she 
looked  younger,  sat  dressed  in  black  in  a  mas- 
sive carved  chair.  Her  hair  was  of  a  beauti- 
ful dark  red,  her  eyes  brown,  and  the  saddest 
Virginia  had  ever  seen.  Her  skin  was  fair 
but  colorless.  She  looked  at  the  newcomers  in- 
differently, then  turned  her  gaze  out  the  win- 
dow. 

At  a  gesture  from  the  doctor  Virginia  threw 
off  her  wraps  and  gloves,  took  her  violin,  and 
tuned  it.  Madame  never  turned  her  head. 
Virginia  suddenly  felt  no  longer  afraid.  She 
must  not  falter.  This  was  no  ordinary  case: 
she  must  not  fail  these  people  who  looked  to  her 
for  help  and  succor.  With  a  prayer  in  her 


72  The  Violin  Lady 

heart  she  played  the  "  Swan  Song,"  "  La  Lieb- 
erstraume,"  then  "  I  Would  That  My  Love 
Would  Silently  Flow."  At  the  last  the  still  fig- 
ure by  the  window  stirred  restlessly.  She 
turned  and  looked  at  the  young  musician.  Vir- 
ginia went  through  a  few  of  her  usual  numbers, 
but  still  no  result  save  that  Madame  showed 
she  was  listening.  All  at  once  Virginia  re- 
membered the  tears  in  Camondreau's  eyes. 
She  would  try  her  own  composition.  It  must 
succeed.  She  would  forget  herself ;  she  would 
feel  every  tone. 

As  the  exquisite  introduction  came  to  an  end 
Madame  showed  the  first  sign  of  emotion.  Her 
lips  trembled.  Virginia  played  on.  The 
King  was  a  child,  anybody's  child.  Every  one 
bows  before  him;  but  the  mother  cuddles  him 
to  her  and  sings  him  to  sleep.  The  lullaby 
sounds  like  a  voice.  It  is  so  tender  it  caresses 
the  child.  It  foretells  his  future.  The  mother 
ends  with  a  prayer  to  Christ  to  watch  over  him, 
lead  him  to  the  best  and  highest.  The  violin 
here  breathes  forth  the  most  imploring  tones; 


WITH  A  PRAYER  IN  HER  HEART  SHE  PLAYED  THE  '  SWAN 
SONG  '  " 


Music  Hath  Charms  73 

then  comes  the  finale,  growing  more  and  more 
triumphant  till  it  ends  in  a  burst  of  joy  and 
gratitude.  Doubtless  Madame  de  Campanie 
did  not  read  all  the  composer  depicted,  but  the 
spirit  of  it  touched  her,  and  the  lullaby  was  as 
perfect  as  if  the  words  were  spoken.  The  air 
changes  here  from  the  arrival,  which  is  joyful 
and  full  of  life,  to  the  most  beautiful  song  with- 
out words.  One  does  not  need  a  vivid  imag- 
ination to  see  the  child,  his  eyes  drooping,  in 
his  mother's  arms,  to  comprehend  the  meaning 
of  the  lullaby.  The  beautiful  head  of  the 
stricken  mother  fell  forward  on  the  broad  win- 
dow-seat, and  the  sobs  hitherto  denied  her 
broke  from  her  aching  heart.  At  a  sign  from 
the  doctor  Virginia  played  it  again.  The  sobs 
changed  to  a  healing  shower  of  tears.  Words 
came  from  her  in  a  rush  of  feeling :  "  My  boy, 
Victoire!  I,  too,  sang  for  him;  his  pretty 
curly  head  rested  on  my  arm.  God  help  me,  I 
want  him  so ;  I  want  him  so." 

The  doctor  bent  over  her,  speaking  words  of 
endearment.     The  Due  walked  the  floor.     Vir- 


74  The  Violin  Lady 

ginia  caught  up  her  case  and  wraps  and  van- 
ished through  the  portiere.  She  walked  the 
length  of  the  hall  and  sat  on  one  of  the  carved 
benches,  waiting.  The  scene  she  had  left  was 
too  sacred  for  outsiders.  As  she  looked  about 
her  at  the  collection  of  art  treasures,  her  atten- 
tion was  held  by  a  large  painting  opposite  of  a 
boy  of  about  four  years.  She  knew  he  must 
be  Victoire  in  his  earlier  childhood.  He  had 
his  mother's  auburn  hair,  only  a  shade  darker, 
the  same  wonderful  eyes,  only  less  sad,  the 
same  fair  skin,  the  charming  mouth. 

It  gave  Virginia's  heart  a  sharp  pang  as  she 
looked  at  the  beautiful  boy.  Why,  why  must 
there  be  so  much  trouble  in  the  world  ? 

It  was  a  half  hour  before  the  doctor  joined 
her.  She  tried  not  to  look  at  him,  for  his 
rugged  face  still  showed  the  keenest  emotion. 

"  It  is  all  right,"  he  said  briefly. 

They  drove  home  in  silence. 

It  was  not  until  they  reached  Madame  Vic- 
toire's  that  the  doctor  followed  Virginia  into 
the  hall,  out  of  the  chauffeur's  hearing. 


Music  Hath  Charms  75 

"  You  understand  that  words  can't  thank 
you,"  he  said.  "  The  Due  wishes  to  pay  you 
a  large  sum,  but  I  felt  that  it  wouldn't  do ;  was 
I  wrong?" 

"  No,  no ! "  cried  Virginia,  shrinking  as  if 
she  had  been  hurt.  "  It  has  been  such  a  won- 
derful thing  that  I  could  bring  something  good 
to  Madame  in  her  great  sorrow  and  help  you. 
I  shall  be  grateful  all  my  life  for  it." 

"  It  has  been  more  than  I  can  tell  to  me,"  the 
great  man  said  huskily.  * "  Please  God,  Ma- 
dame will  be  my  wife  soon.  I  have  loved  her 
since  I  was  a  boy.  God's  blessing  on  you, 
Mademoiselle."  And  he  was  gone. 

Virginia  went  into  the  little  living-room  more 
shaken  than  she  knew.  Elizabeth  looked  up 
from  the  letter  she  was  writing  with  a  joke  on 
her  lips.  At  sight  of  Virginia's  face  she  said 
instead:  "  Virginia,  are  you  sick?  You  poor 
girl,  I'm  going  to  put  you  to  bed."  She  tossed 
her  letter  aside  and  began  taking  off  her 
friend's  wraps. 

"  No,  no,"  protested  Virginia ;  "  we're  going 


76  The  Violin  Lady 

to  the  Latin  Quarter  for  supper  or  dinner  at 
the  Cafe  Soufflet.  I'm  not  ill  at  all.  It's  only 
that  I'm  a  little  upset.  I  shall  soon  be  myself." 

She  told  Elizabeth  all  but  the  doctor's  love 
affair  —  she  felt  that  that  was  not  hers  to  re- 
peat. 

"  No  wonder  you're  upset !  "  Elizabeth  cried, 
her  eyes  full  of  tears.  "  Oh,  Virginia,  I  don't 
believe  there's  a  day  that  you  don't  help  some- 
body. You  took  your  motto  at  Miss  Kemble's 
school,  '  I  serve,'  and  you  follow  it  yet." 

"  Don't,  please ;  you  make  me  ashamed,  'Liz- 
beth.  I  was  just  thinking  yesterday  that  since 
I've  come  here  I'm  so  busy  and  absorbed  in  my 
music  I  am  getting  self-centered.  You're  so 
patient  and  dear,  you're  really  no  judge.  Think 
of  all  you  do  with  your  allowance  —  I  have  so 
much  less  money.  Come,  we  must  start. 
There's  no  time  to  throw  bouquets  at  each 
other.  What  wouldn't  I  give  to  walk  in  on 
them  at  home  to-night !  " 

A  week  later  came  a  package  for  Virginia. 
Opening  it  the  girl  found  in  a  morocco  case  a 


Music  Hath  Charms  11 

beautiful  brooch.  It  was  painted  exquisitely 
on  ivory,  the  head  of  one  of  Raphael's  cherubs 
set  with  pearls.  Virginia  took  up  the  card.  It 
read  in  French :  "  Not  as  a  compensation  for 
help  which  cannot  be  paid  for;  but  as  a  slight 
inadequate  expression  of  gratitude,  from 
Emilie  de  Campanie." 

The  two  hung  over  the  dainty  thing  in  girlish 
rapture. 

"  Virginia,  this  will  be  a  family  heirloom," 
cried  Elizabeth. 

"  In  your  family  then,  or  in  Bob's  or  Janet's, 
for  this  Miss  Hammond  is  wedded  to  her  vio- 
lin." 

"  Do  you  realize,  Virginia,"  Elizabeth  asked 
abruptly,  "that  Alan  will  soon  be  over? 
Father  writes  that  he  will  send  him  on  special 
business  next  month." 

"  No,  indeed,  I  haven't  forgotten.  It  will  be 
good  to  see  his  strong  face  again.  I  tell  you, 
Elizabeth  Gardiner  Jordan,  that  there  are  few 
men  as  straight  and  clean  and  dependable  as 
Thee  and  Alan.  The  more  I  see  of  men," 


78  The  Violin  Lady 

added  the  experienced  woman  of  the  world, 
"  the  more  I  appreciate  the  fact." 

"That  is  true,"  admitted  Elizabeth,  "but 
there  are  others.  Did  I  tell  you  that  Alec 
Forbes  called  while  you  were  away  this  after- 
noon? He  has  been  to  Lyons  and  leaves  this 
evening  for  Holland.  He  is  abroad  on  busi- 
ness for  his  uncle,  and  he  let  me  think  it  was 
merely  a  pleasure  trip.  He  seems  a  nice  fel- 
low. I  always  liked  him.  And,  what  do  you 
think?  He  asked  me  if  my  health  were  better 
since  I  came,  and  if  I  found  that  the  baths  in 
Germany  helped  me  ?  I  just  stared  at  him.  I 
told  him  I  had  not  been  near  Germany,  and  that 
I  was  the  healthiest  girl  going,  except  you,  and 
he  seemed  so  astonished.  I  said  at  last, 
'  Where  in  the  world  did  you  hear  such  fairy 
tales  as  these  ?  '  He  seemed  to  try  to  remem- 
ber. *  Oh,  it  was  that  Monsieur  D'Artois  that 
I  met  at  Mrs.  Archer's.  He  said  he  was  a 
great  friend  of  yours,  but  that  he  felt  intense 
pity  for  you  because  your  lungs  were  very  bad.' 
I  told  him  that  Monsieur  made  a  grave  mistake, 


Music  Hath  Charms  79 

that  we  were  not  friends,  and  that  I  feared  for 
reasons  best  known  to  himself  he  had  willfully 
created  fiction  of  the  lurid  type." 

"  Elizabeth,  I  wish  that  you  had  never  known 
Raoul  D'Artois ;  he  is  a  dangerous  man,"  Vir- 
ginia asserted  gravely. 

"  My  dear,  it  takes  brains  to  scheme  evil  as 
well  as  good  things,  and  poor  Raoul's  are  scanty 
and  of  cheap  quality,"  scoffed  Elizabeth. 

"  A  fool  without  principle  or  honor  is  a 
menace  to  others,  because  he  has  nothing  to 
hinder  his  slanderous  tongue,"  she  observed 
sagely.  "  Well,  if  one  behaves  oneself  and 
walks  straightly,  even  the  gentleman  with  horns 
is  harmless ! " 

But  Virginia  shook  her  head  in  denial.  Eliz- 
abeth turned,  as  was  her  habit,  to  happier 
topics. 

"  Do  you  realize  how  we've  improved  in 
learning  and  speaking  French  since  we  came  ?  " 
she  asked.  "  We  both  have  studied  it  since  the 
days  at  Miss  Kemble's  and  thought  we  were  ex- 
cellent French  scholars,  but  eight  months  in 


80  The  Violin  Lady 

Paris  have  been  more  beneficial  than  years  at 
home." 

"  Yes,  it  struck  me  more  forcibly  when  talk- 
ing with  Dr.  de  Thevenau :  I  suppose  French- 
men would  recognize  our  nationality,  hearing 
us  murder  their  tongue,  but  they  are  evidently 
too  polite  to  say  so.  Camondreau  insists  that 
I  speak  it  wonderfully  well." 

"  And  Monsieur  DuBarry  said  the  same  to 
me  at  your  aunt's,  so  let  us  pretend  they  are 
right ;  it  makes  one  feel  so  satisfied." 

"  Elizabeth,  sometimes  I  think  you're  Janet's 
age,  sometimes  I  think  you're  older  than  I," 
Virginia  exclaimed,  laughing.  "  You  certainly 
wrest  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  from  life  wher- 
ever you  are." 

Elizabeth  hurried  off  to  her  lesson  and  Vir- 
ginia practiced  some  difficult  exercises.  But 
her  mind  wandered.  For  not  the  first  time  she 
thought  wonderingly  of  the  change  in  the  doc- 
tor's face  when  he  told  her  of  his  intended  mar- 
riage, of  his  emotion  —  he  who  had  operated 
on  hundreds  of  patients  and  whose  eyes  had 


Music  Hath  Charms  81 

seen  most  distressing  scenes  —  and  again  she 
stood  appalled  at  the  power  of  this  thing  called 
love,  which  could  be  so  potent  a  factor  in  the 
lives  of  men  and  women.  And  again  she  hoped 
that  she  might  not  come  under  its  power,  at 
least  for  a  long  time.  There  was  so  much  she 
wanted  to  do,  and  it  seemed  to  be  so  engross- 
ing, so  revolutionary  and  upsetting,  so  fright- 
ening! 


CHAPTER  V 

TRIALS  ARE  TESTS  TO  PROVE  THE  METTLE  THAT 
IS  IN  US 

LENT  was  nearly  over  when  several 
things,  all  of  which  were  connected 
with  Virginia's  life,  happened  in  quick 
succession.  First,  through  Camondreau's  su- 
pervision and  efforts,  Virginia's  musical  num- 
ber was  published,  and  bade  fair  to  be  a  suc- 
cess ;  then,  as  the  girls  were  rejoicing  over  that, 
came  as  great  surprises  the  other  way.  A  let- 
ter from  Mr.  Jordan  stated  briefly  that  Mr. 
Elston  would  represent  the  firm  abroad  instead 
of  Alan,  who  had  decided  to  go  West  instead 
to  see  the  Blacks. 

"  Genevieve !  "  murmured  Elizabeth  as  she 
read  the  news  aloud  to  Virginia.  "Well,  I 
must  say,"  added  that  young  woman,  with  her 
usual  frankness,  "  I  do  think  Alan  might  have 


'Trials  Are  Tests  83 

postponed  his  visit  and  come  to  see  us.  I  know 
father  is  disappointed.  Alan  is  so  much  more 
capable,  if  he  is  younger  than  Mr.  Elston.  I 
can't  believe  it.  This  love  business  must  be  a 
queer  thing !  And  poor  Thee  will  have  to  suf- 
fer, too,  I  know.  I  don't  see  why  Alan  could 
not  run  across.  He  told  me  he  longed  to  come 
abroad,  and  I  don't  see  why  father  let  him 
off."  So  Elizabeth  fumed. 

Virginia  said  much  less,  but  she  felt  more. 
It  was  a  real  pain  to  her  that  her  old  chum  and 
playmate  should  give  up  his  plan,  and  again 
she  wondered  why  and  how  this  newer  girl 
should  influence  her  two  friends  to  such  an  ex- 
tent. She  had  not  realized  until  now  how 
much  she  had  counted  on  Alan's  coming.  She 
had  planned  dozens  of  places  and  things  to 
show  him,  of  little  trips  the  three,  or  with  a 
fourth  added,  could  take  to  near-by  places  of 
interest :  above  all,  of  the  talks  they  would  have 
—  Alan  always  understood  her,  and  was  so  in- 
terested in  her  plans  for  the  future.  She  evi- 
dently did  not  hold  as  prominent  a  place  in  his 


84:  The  Violin  Lady 

life  as  he  in  hers.  Thank  fortune,  she  was 
loyal  to  her  old  friends,  and  always  would  be ! 

Elizabeth  felt  surprise  that  Virginia  took 
Alan's  defection  so  calmly,  which  shows  that 
even  one's  best  friend  cannot  always  read  one's 
heart.  It  was  not  so  much  that  Virginia  was 
secretive  as  that  she  felt  too  deeply  to  mention 
the  subject. 

She  plunged  into  her  music  study  with  so 
much  zeal  that  Elizabeth  declared  she  was 
growing  thin  under  the  stress. 

"  It  is  as  I've  always  said,"  Virginia  told  her- 
self, "my  violin  is  my  best  friend.  It  never 
hurts  me,  it  never  talks  back,  it  comforts  me,  it 
gives  me  happiness." 

Aunt  Henrietta  had  stayed  longer  in  Rome 
than  she  intended,  and  had  been  back  but  a  few 
weeks.  She  was  vexed  with  her  niece  for,  as 
she  expressed  it,  being  a  recluse  at  her  age. 
She  scolded  and  protested  in  vain.  Virginia 
went  quite  often  to  see  her  and  accepted  with 
Elizabeth  invitations  once  in  a  week  or  two  for 
a  small  luncheon  or  informal  social  afternoon 


Trials  Are  Tests  85 

affair,  but  she  could  not  and  would  not  give  the 
time  to  society  her  aunt  desired.  She  had 
neither  the  money  nor  the  clothes,  but,  more 
than  these  obstacles,  was  the  need  to  give  of 
her  strength  and  time  to  her  chosen  profession, 
which  her  aunt  often  treated  with  impa- 
tience sometimes  amounting  to  contempt. 

"  I  wish  Mrs.  Kirkland  had  stayed  in  Rome," 
Elizabeth  stated  in  her  usual  manner ;  "  she 
harasses  and  finds  fault  with  you  constantly. 
Now  that  Camondreau  has  softened  towards 
you,  Aunt  Henrietta  makes  up  for  it  by  never 
giving  you  any  peace." 

Just  before  Easter  came  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Jordan  urging  Elizabeth's  speedy  return  home, 
as  her  mother  was  not  at  all  well.  "  Business 
complications  hold  me  here,"  he  wrote ;  "  yet  I 
feel  that  your  mother  ought  to  be  under  con- 
stant medical  care.  She  dreads  being  at  the 
far-away  sanitarium  her  physician  recom- 
mends, alone.  If  you  were  here  you  could  go 
with  her,  entertain  her  and  be  company  for 
her." 


86  The  Violin  Lady 

"  I  should  never  have  come,"  Elizabeth  de- 
clared. "  It  was  selfish  of  me.  Mother  is  so 
dear,  she  never  would  interfere  with  my  plans. 
I  feel  that  I  can't  go  back  quickly  enough, 
though  it  breaks  my  heart  to  leave  you,  Vir- 
ginia." 

Elizabeth's  constant  joyousness  had  van- 
ished. Virginia  was  struck  with  the  change  in 
her.  She  knew  that  she  and  Thee  were  both 
unusually  fond  of  their  mother,  but  even  she 
had  not  realized  the  strength  of  the  girl's  at- 
tachment. She  tried  to  be  cheerful,  but  she 
seemed  to  begrudge  the  days  that  must  elapse 
before  she  could  sail. 

Virginia  was  invaluable.  She  helped  Eliza- 
beth shop;  she  did  most  of  her  packing;  she 
engaged  her  passage  on  La  Lorraine,  and  ar- 
ranged all  details. 

She  wrote  letters  for  her. 

"  I  seem  so  inefficient,"  Elizabeth  exclaimed 
deprecatingly,  "  but  that  dreadful  Atlantic 
frightens  me!  It  is  so  big,  and  takes  so  long 
to  cross  it."  Elizabeth  looked  up  from  her 


Trials  Are  Tests  87 

work  to  flash  one  of  her  old  laughing  glances 
at  her  friend.  "  It  distresses  me  to  think  that 
it  will  be  between  Raoul  and  me !  "  She  made 
a  moue. 

Everything  was  pushed  to  hasten  her  depar- 
ture, and,  at  the  last,  Elizabeth  came  in  from 
a  last  shopping  trip  visibly  brightened  and 
cheered. 

"  Alec  Forbes  is  going  over  on  the  same 
steamer  after  all,"  she  announced  to  Virginia. 
"  I  met  him  a  few  days  ago  and  told  him  you 
had  secured  passage  for  me  on  La  Lorraine. 
And  he  found  a  man  who  preferred  to  wait  an- 
other month  and  who  sold  him  his  tickets.  It 
is  so  fortunate.  It  won't  be  you,  Virginia,  but 
it  will  be  an  old  friend." 

Virginia  and  Aunt  Henrietta  went  with  her 
to  Havre  and  saw  her  off.  The  girls  clung  to 
each  other  at  parting  and  some  tears  were  shed. 
Virginia  yielded  to  Aunt  Henrietta's  urgent  re- 
quest to  stay  over  Sunday  with  her,  but  it  was 
only  putting  off  the  evil  hour.  The  first  few 
days  after  her  return  the  rooms  seemed  unbear- 


88  The  Violin  Lady 

able.  Everywhere  Virginia  missed  the  sunny, 
laughing,  gay  companion  of  so  many  months. 
Almost  she  wished  that  she  had  been  less  con- 
genial so  that  the  separation  might  be  less  pain- 
ful. The  Trask  girls  came  to  see  her  and  Mrs. 
Archer  invited  her  now  and  then  to  lunch  and 
Sunday  dinners;  but  they  were  very  gay  and 
always  very  busy.  Virginia  thought  them 
very  kind  to  give  her  the  attention  and  thought 
they  did.  Madame  La  Fontaine,  a  friend  of 
her  aunt's,  came  now  and  then  to  take  her  to 
drive  in  her  machine,  as  did  Aunt  Henrietta. 
To  her  surprise,  Madame  de  Campanie,  who 
had  been  to  Geneva,  returned  in  the  later  spring 
and  carried  her  off  to  her  brother's  beautiful 
country  place  over  Sunday.  She  had  taken  a 
great  fancy  to  the  "  Violin  Lady,"  as  she  loved 
to  call  her.  She  looked  much  better,  and  was 
trying  to  bear  her  sorrow  in  a  braver  spirit, 
she  told  Virginia  in  her  sweet,  appealing  man- 
ner. It  was  a  great  treat  to  the  girl  to  go  to 
the  old  chateau  with  its  vast  and  beautiful 
grounds  and  interesting  house.  The  Due  had 


Trials  Are  Tests  89 

two  other  country  places,  but  Madame  pre- 
ferred this  as  much  nearer  her  beloved  Paris, 
and  Virginia  suspected  that  there  were  other 
and  more  personal  reasons.  She  sometimes 
met  the  doctor  there,  but  he  had  to  snatch  lei- 
sure when  he  could,  not  when  he  wished. 

Aunt  Henrietta  was  much  impressed  with 
the  friendship  of  Madame  de  Campanie  for  her 
niece.  She,  herself,  did  not  number  a  Due 
among  her  acquaintances  in  the  years  of  her 
social  climbing  in  the  land  of  her  adoption. 
She  felt  sure  that  the  noble  family  had  recog- 
nized in  the  apparently  simple  girl  from  humble 
lodgings  the  Leighton  blood  of  which  she  was 
so  proud.  Royalty  itself  could  not  have  wor- 
shiped Family  with  a  capital  more  than  did 
Aunt  Henrietta.  She  never  forgot  for  an 
hour  that  Providence  in  His  goodness  had 
made  her  a  Leighton  and  permitted  her  to 
marry  wealth  in  the  form  of  Peter  Kirkland, 
thus  combining  the  two  ingredients  she  consid- 
ered necessary  to  form  the  mixture  which  made 
life  bearable.  The  last  of  June  she  left  Paris 


90  The  Violin  Lady 

for  the  summer  to  take  a  trip  with  some  wealthy 
friends  to  Norway  and  Sweden.  She  felt 
some  qualms  as  she  thought  of  Virginia.  She 
could  easily  have  taken  her  to  Switzerland  and 
given  up  her  costlier  trip,  but  she  could  not 
make  up  her  mind  to  forego  the  joys  and  eclat 
of  going  with  the  DuBarrys.  As  usual  she 
excused  herself.  Virginia  did  not  mind.  She 
was  such  a  plucky  girl.  And  if  she  must  earn 
her  living,  or  was  determined  to  play  in  public, 
as  Aunt  Henrietta  put  it,  there  was  no  need  of 
such  sacrifice  on  her  part.  It  would  only  per- 
haps spoil  the  girl  and  unfit  her  for  her  work. 

A  few  days  after  her  departure  Virginia, 
with  a  bold  front  but  sinking  heart,  set  out  for 
Camondreau's  studio  for  her  last  lesson  and  to 
pay  the  maestro's  bill  for  the  last  few  months. 
It  would  take  all  but  fifty  dollars  of  her  care- 
fully hoarded  earnings.  As  Mr.  Jordan  had 
said,  it  took  considerable  money  to  live  in  Paris 
and  take  lessons  of  an  artist  like  Camondreau. 
She  had  cut  down  in  every  way,  but  only  since 
Elizabeth  had  gone  did  Virginia  realize  in  how 


Trials  Are  Tests  91 

many  unobtrusive  ways  had  her  friend  sup- 
plied wants  and  eased  the  other's  burdens.  She 
had,  too,  shared  the  rent  of  the  rooms.  Vir- 
ginia felt  that  she  would  be  obliged  to  borrow 
money  of  her  stepmother,  who  would,  she  knew, 
cheerfully  give  it  to  her;  but  she  had  hoped 
against  hope  that  this  would  not  be  necessary. 
Camondreau  left  the  city  always  by  the  first 
of  August.  He  had  been  certain  of  getting 
Virginia  an  engagement,  but  several  unfore- 
seen things  had  occurred  to  upset  his  plans. 
"  The  Coming  of  the  King  "  brought  in  a  small 
but  welcome  sum.  Elizabeth  had  taken  it  to 
America  to  see  if  her  father  and  Alan  could 
not  sell  it  for  her,  but  it  was  slow  work.  Eliz- 
abeth wrote  her  regularly  from  the  sanitarium 
in  the  Catskills,  where  she  was  with  her  mother, 
whose  improvement  was  tedious  and  far  from 
speedy.  Theodore's  letters,  while  free  from 
the  forbidden  topic,  had  lately  been  less  fre- 
quent and  more  brief  and  unsatisfactory.  Vir- 
ginia told  herself  that  she  ought  to  be  thankful 
that  his  ardor  was  cooling  since  it  could  not 


92  The  Violin  Lady 

be  reciprocated,  but  she  did  not  want  him  to 
cease  being  her  warm  friend.  Alan's  letters, 
too,  though  cordial  and  friendly,  were  different. 
Miss  Van  Buren  had  not  written  her  for 
months.  To  be  sure,  she  was  always,  as  she 
herself  said,  a  wretched  correspondent,  but  she 
had  never  waited  this  long. 

As  Virginia  came  from  the  bank  to  the  studio 
her  woes  accumulated.  Usually  optimistic,  it 
seemed  to-day  as  if  life  held  for  her  no  rose- 
colored  future.  She  would  give  up  her  tiny 
suite  and  take  a  single  room  in  the  rear.  She 
would  see  Madame  Victoire  at  once.  She 
would  cut  down  her  rations.  She  tried  to  force 
a  smile  and  assume  a  general  air  of  prosperity 
as  she  entered  Camondreau's  rooms  —  thank 
heaven,  she  still  had  handsome  clothes ! 

Camondreau  met  her  with  outstretched 
hands.  "  I  telephoned  you,  Mademoiselle,  but 
your  landlady  said  you  were  out,"  he  greeted 
her.  "  I  have  good  news.  A  countryman  of 
yours  —  Monsieur  Van  Anden  —  I  know  quite 
well,  is  most  anxious  to  engage  a  first-class  vio- 


Trials  Are  Tests  93 

linist  to  tour  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  in  the 
fall  and  winter.  He  came  to  me.  I  assured 
him  that  I  have  no  half-way  artist,  but  a  genius, 
full  of  promise,  an  accomplished  musician ;  that 
if  I  were  younger  I  should  ask  nothing  better 
of  Fate  than  to  introduce  her  myself.  But 
alas !  it  might  be  he  was  too  late ;  a  wonder  like 
this  American  had  many  offers.  I  would  see 
Mademoiselle.  I  would  intercede  for  him.  He 
said  if  he  could  only  obtain  a  good  vocalist  and 
this  paragon  he  would  consider  himself  in  Par- 
adise." 

"  I  believe  I  could  give  him  what  he  wants," 
Virginia  declared  eagerly.  "  I  have  a  friend, 
Mademoiselle  Le  Due,  who  is  studying  in  Ber- 
lin. She  has  a  beautiful  soprano,  highly  culti- 
vated—" 

"Can  you  get  your  friend  here  soon?" 
Camondreau  asked,  walking  the  floor,  as  was 
his  habit  when  agitated. 

"  I  believe  I  could,"  Virginia  assured  him, 
hardly  less  moved. 

"  Monsieur  Van  Anden's  sister,  an  excellent 


94  The  Violin  Lady 

pianist,  will  act  as  accompanist  and  chaperon: 
behold,  Mademoiselle,  all  is  well.  Here  is  the 
opportunity  to  make  your  debut  and  charm  the 
world.  I  shall  arrange  the  matter  if  I  must 
postpone  my  departure."  Camondreau  threw 
out  his  hands  with  his  usual  gestures. 

"  You  are  most  kind,  Monsieur,"  Virginia 
said  warmly ;  "  and  now  we  must  settle  my  bill. 
Please  tell  me  the  exact  sum." 

"  Ah,  Mademoiselle,  that  has  been  settled 
these  many  weeks.  You  owe  me  not  one 
sou." 

He  smiled  into  her  amazed  countenance.  He 
was  evidently  enjoying  himself. 

"  But,  Monsieur,  I  do  not  understand  — " 

"  But,  Mademoiselle  Hammond,  I  tell  you  the 
fact  I  am  paid,  and  I  absolutely  refuse  to  be 
paid  twice." 

"  Who  has  done  this  ?  "  Virginia  demanded. 

"  That  I  cannot  tell  you.  Hein,  Mademoi- 
selle, why  frown  so  anxiously?  If  any  kind 
friend  would  pay  Camondreau's  bills,  would  I 
worry  ?  Would  I  insist  that  I  know  the  name  ? 


Trials  Are  Tests  95 

It  is  with  you  only  a  question  of  time  when 
ducats  will  flow  into  your  coffers.  It  is  the 
truth  I  am  telling  you." 

Virginia  could  do  nothing  with  him.  She 
finally  set  out  for  home,  her  mind  full  of  con- 
flicting thoughts.  Could  Aunt  Henrietta  in  a 
sudden  spasm  of  compunction  have  paid  her 
bill  before  leaving?  Had  Mr.  Jordan  for- 
warded it  ?  Surely  the  Due  d' Angouleme  had 
not  taken  this  way  to  repay  her  for  a  simple 
courtesy,  an  act  of  kindly  sympathy  ?  Ah,  she 
hoped  not !  Well,  she  could  do  nothing.  Why 
not  accept  her  good  fortune  with  gratitude? 
Perhaps  some  day  she  would  be  able  to  return 
it ;  who  knew  ?  Meanwhile  a  heavy  weight  was 
lifted  from  her  heart.  Now,  she  need  not  send 
home  for  money.  Now,  she  had  a  promising 
engagement  for  October.  Her  heart  beat 
quickly  as  she  thought  of  what  it  meant  to  her. 
And  if  Marcelle  could  again  be  her  companion, 
as  she  had  been  on  the  trip  to  the  Western 
States  they  had  taken,  what  more  could  she 
ask  ?  And  she  had  lost  faith  and  felt  discour- 


96  The  Violin  Lady 

aged !     Would  she  never  learn  to  be  undaunted 
though  the  heavens  fell  ? 

She  must  send  a  telegram  to  Marcelle  in  Ber- 
lin asking  her  to  come  at  once.  She  had  in- 
tended visiting  her  friend  some  time  in  August 
for  her  long  delayed  trip  to  Paris,  which  some- 
thing had  always  prevented.  The  telegram 
sent,  Virginia,  after  her  simple  supper  at  home, 
sat  by  the  open  window  trying  to  catch  the 
breeze  that  Madame  Victoire  declared  meant 
death  and  destruction  to  life.  As  she  sat  there, 
Virginia's  thoughts  went  back  over  the  past. 
She  could  see  Marcelle  and  herself  in  the  little 
church  in  the  Nebraska  town  where  an  automo- 
bile mishap  had  detained  them  a  few  hours, 
listening  to  the  rector,  Mr.  Lauderdale,  telling 
them  the  brief  histories  of  the  different  pieces 
of  church  furniture  and  how  they  were  given. 
She  heard  again  as  plainly  as  if  it  were  yester- 
day the  story  of  the  reading  desk:  how  a 
Frenchman,  one  of  a  noble  family  but  who  had 
lived  a  wasted,  dissipated  life,  fell  sick  in  the 
town  and  the  rector  had  from  a  friendly  call 


Trials  Are  Tests  97 

been  his  best  friend  in  the  days  that  followed. 
How,  after  his  death,  his  relatives  in  France 
had  sent  the  rector  money  for  his  work,  and 
one  of  the  things  he  had  used  it  for  was  the 
needed  desk  of  black  walnut.  And  then  her 
friend's  question,  "  Was  his  name  Marcel  Le 
Due  ? "  she  had  asked.  And  the  kindly  rec- 
tor's remorse  to  find  that  he  was  her  father. 

She  saw  later  Marcelle  in  their  room  at  the 
hotel  telling  her  for  the  first  time  her  story :  of 
her  father's  desertion  of  her  and  her  mother, 
of  her  mother's  hardships  and  death,  leaving 
her  to  the  care  of  an  uneducated,  almost  desti- 
tute, Italian  woman;  of  her  singing  on  the 
streets  with  the  woman,  to  support  her  and  her 
children,  of  her  being  discovered  by  Miss  Van 
Buren,  through  whose  efforts  she  was  adopted 
by  a  wealthy  New  Yorker;  of  her  advantages 
and  wonderful  improvement  in  the  three  years 
in  her  family.  Then  the  coming  home  of  the 
eldest  son  of  the  house  from  a  long  trip  around 
the  world,  worthless,  debauched.  His  infatu- 
ation for  the  girl,  his  mother's  determination 


98  The  VioUn  Lady 

that  she  must  marry  him,  throwing  up  to  her  all 
she  had  done  for  her  with  —  Marcelle  saw  too 
late  —  this  end  in  view.  The  persecution  from 
the  two  until  the  girl  ran  away  to  her  gov- 
erness', where,  with  the  aid  of  her  music- 
teacher,  she  obtained  a  position  with  Virginia 
to  tour  part  of  the  West.  This  being  successful, 
the  girls  earned  enough  to  give  them  a  year's 
study  abroad,  Marcelle  going  to  Herr  Schmidt 
at  Berlin,  Virginia  to  Paris. 

And  now  they  were  to  be  together  once  more 
—  perhaps !  What  if  Marcelle  had  obtained  a 
better  position  ?  She  had  been  singing  a  great 
deal  lately,  and  had  earned  extra  money  which 
had  helped  her  materially.  Mrs.  Kirkland 
might  have  done  considerable  in  this  way  for 
Virginia,  but  her  false  pride  stood  in  the  way. 
Camondreau  might  have  found  work  for  her 
also,  but  with  one  of  his  eccentric  moods  he  de- 
clared he  did  not  want  his  most  promising  pupil 
to  be  known  until  he  considered  her  ready ;  then 
let  the  curtain  rise  and  disclose  her  to  the 
world ! 


Trials  Are  Tests  99 

Virginia  went  early  to  bed.  Her  anticipa- 
tions for  the  future  filled  her  mind  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  all  else.  To-morrow  she  would 
know  about  Marcelle.  To-morrow  she  would 
meet  Mr.  Van  Anden.  Would  he  and  his  sister 
be  as  pleasant  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stedman,  her 
former  manager  and  his  wife.  Would  he 
agree  with  Camondreau  and  Miss  Van  Buren 
as  to  her  playing?  Would  her  English  audi- 
ences prove  as  cordial  and  enthusiastic  as  those 
in  her  own  land? 

To-morrow  promised  much,  and  the  to-mor- 
row of  the  future  more.  What  was  that  fa- 
miliar line  Elizabeth  was  always  quoting  from 
Cowper's  "  Needless  Alarm  "  ?  "  The  darkest 
day  lived  till  to-morrow  will  have  passed 
away." 


CHAPTER  VI 

MARCELLE  ARRIVES 

THE  next  morning  early  came  an  an- 
swer to  Virginia's  telegram. 

"  I  shall  be  with  you  to-night  at  six  o'clock. 

"  MARCELLE." 

It  seemed  to  Virginia  that  she  had  never 
spent  a  longer  day.  She  was  at  the  train  to 
meet  her  friend  and  took  her  to  a  little  cafe 
near  the  station,  where  they  served  an  excel- 
lent yet  prescribed  menu. 

They  hardly  noticed  what  they  ate,  there  was 
so  much  to  talk  over.  Marcelle  had  had  two 
offers,  but  neither  promised  so  well  as  this  one. 
Each  had  much  to  tell  the  other  of  their  year. 
Marcelle  looked  and  seemed  less  grave,  hap- 
pier. She  was  in  excellent  condition.  Her 
clothes,  Virginia  could  not  but  notice,  were  in 

the  best  of  taste  and  most  becoming. 
100 


Marcelle  Arrives  101 

At  eight  they  were  ready  to  receive  Camon- 
dreau  and  Mr.  Van  Anden.  Both  girls  had 
gained  more  confidence  since  their  stage  fright 
with  Mr.  Stedman;  yet  their  outward  com- 
posure was  belied  by  a  certain  weakness  in  the 
knees. 

Virginia  played  that  most  difficult  Veracini's 
"  Senate  in  D,"  then  Kann's  "  Fantaisiestiick," 
and  her  own  "  The  Coming  of  the  King."  Mr. 
Van  Anden  made  no  secret  of  his  surprise  and 
enthusiasm,  though  he  had  the  air  of  trying  to 
check  its  too  frank  admission. 

Elizabeth's  rented  piano  was  gone,  but  Vir- 
ginia accompanied  Marcelle  in  an  aria  from 
La  Traviata  and  Virginia's  favorite,  Knapp's 
"  Open  the  Gates."  She  almost  stopped  play- 
ing in  her  pleasure  over  the  girl's  improve- 
ment. She  joined  with  the  men  in  their  praise 
of  her  marvelous  voice.  Camondreau  acted  for 
them  in  the  business  arrangements.  The 
maestro  was  an  anomaly,  a  mixture  of  shrewd 
business  sense  and  the  caprices  and  moods  of  a 
child.  The  girls  fairly  held  their  breath  as  he 


102  The  Violin  Lady 

insisted  on  the  high  salaries  he  considered  their 
right. 

Finally  he  won  out,  and  the  four  parted,  three 
of  them  not  to  meet  again  until  early  October, 
when  Mr.  Van  Anden  and  his  sister  were  to 
join  them  at  Cardiff,  Wales,  where  the  girls 
were  to  take  part  in  a  grand  concert  as  soloists. 
From  there  they  were  to  make  a  tour  of  the 
principal  cities  and  towns  of  England  and  a 
few  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 

During  the  rest  of  the  week  the  girls  took  a 
holiday,  sight-seeing  and  visiting.  Marcelle 
had  never  been  in  Paris  and  all  was  new  and 
deeply  interesting.  They  kept  up  the  sight- 
seeing later,  but  practiced  regularly  every  day 
together  and  apart.  Marcelle  rented  a  piano. 

Madame  Bernard  and  Adrien  had  gone  home 
in  June.  The  child  was  improving  steadily, 
but  it  was  a  slow  process.  The  great  doctor 
instructed  the  mother  in  the  treatment,  and  told 
her  characteristically  that  there  was  no  use  in 
paying  money  any  longer  for  what  she  could  do 
herself ;  to  come  two  or  three  times  a  year  for 


Marcelle  Arrives  103 

inspection;  and  to  keep  him  out  of  doors  as 
much  as  possible.  Adrien  wrote  quaint  little 
notes  to  the  Violin  Lady,  whose  playing  he 
missed  and  loved.  A  rare  and  brief  letter  came 
from  Aunt  Henrietta,  inclosing  a  generous 
check. 

"If  you  will  seek  notoriety,  Virginia,  I  am 
determined  that  you  shall  be  properly  clothed 
for  the  occasion,"  she  wrote.  "  Alan  Kings- 
bury  made  a  most  fortunate  investment  of  some 
of  my  money  —  a  very  clever,  long-headed  fel- 
low, my  dear  —  so  I'm  dividing  my  first  divi- 
dends with  you.  Do  go  at  once  and  order  two 
gowns.  You  have  done  wonders  with  those  I 
gave  you  long  ago,  but  they  won't  last  for- 
ever." 

"  It  is  a  sop  to  her  conscience,  poor  Aunt 
Henrietta !  "  Virginia  said  to  Marcelle.  "  Now 
you,  my  dear,  would  return  the  check  with  a 
high  and  lofty  note  and  go  to  England  clad  in 
rags  and  tags  and  noble  pride,  but  I  shall  go  at 
once  and  order  the  gowns.  I  had  enough  from 
the  sales  of  '  The  Coming  of  the  King '  to  buy 


104  The  Violin  Lady 

a  white  silk  and  use  some  lovely  lace  I  had  from 
my  days  of  luxury;  but  I  need  more  and  have 
tried  not  to  worry  over  the  matter.  I'm  'umble 
and  grateful,  instead  of  proud  and  'otty  for  this 
unexpected  bonus." 

Marcelle  smiled.  "  You  know  the  cases  are 
different,"  she  said.  "  I,  too,  have  worried 
over  your  wardrobe,  and  was  wondering  last 
night  if  I  dare  offer  you  a  slice  of  my  money, 
but  even  my  courage  failed  me,  and  I  postponed 
the  effort." 

"  I  appreciate  the  thought,  cherie,  and  I 
would  have  accepted  a  loan  to  be  repaid  when 
I'm  rich  and  famous ;  but  I'm  glad  that  it  isn't 
necessary,"  Virginia  declared. 

In  early  September  came  a  note  from  Ma- 
dame Campanie  inviting  Virginia  to  spend  the 
week-end  at  the  chateau.  "  Monsieur  le  doc- 
teur  tells  me  you  have  a  friend  with  you;  we 
should  be  delighted  to  have  you  bring  her  with 
you  if  she  will  pardon  the  informality,"  she 
wrote.  Madame  had  been  for  a  short  visit  at 
Lyons. 


Marcelle  Arrives  105 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  have  you  see  this  lovely  old 
chateau  and  the  grounds,"  Virginia  said  with 
sparkling  eyes.  She  told  Marcelle  of  her  first 
meeting  with  Madame.  The  rare  tears  sprang 
to  Marcelle's  eyes  as  she  listened.  Madame 
Victoire  was  overwhelmed  with  the  fact  of  the 
Violin  Lady's  hobnobbing  with  the  nobility. 
She  had  told  her  neighbor,  Therese  Crepin,  of 
the  honors  accorded  her  lodger,  and  now  her 
facile  tongue  elaborated  the  virtues  of  the  new- 
comer. "  Her  voice  is  the  finest  in  the  world," 
she  insisted;  "  she  has  sung  before  the  German 
Emperor.  And  now  that  the  Violin  Lady  is 
run  after  so  by  the  Due  and  his  sister  and  the 
great  doctor,  there's  no  telling  how  soon  there 
will  be  a  wedding.  A  prince  is  none  too  fine 
for  her.  With  her  fiddle  she  is  a  walking  sil- 
ver mine;  the  hen  with  the  golden  eggs  was 
nothing  to  her." 

Madame  generously  sent  her  limousine  for 
the  girls.  They  were  nearly  to  the  stone 
steps  of  the  chateau  when  Marcelle  said  laugh- 
ingly :  "  Do  you  know,  Virginia,  that  you  have 


106  The  Violin  Lady 

never  told  me  the  Due's  name?  You  always 
say  '  the  Due.'  " 

"  Yes,  life's  too  short  to  bother  with  French 
names  — " 

The  magnificent  butler  threw  open  the  wide 
doors  and  bowed  obsequiously.  The  two  were 
ushered  through  the  beautiful  hall  to  a  small 
room  to  one  side. 

Marcelle  was  about  to  seat  herself  when  she 
suddenly  stood  transfixed,  her  eyes  on  a  large 
painting  of  a  full-sized  portrait  of  a  boy  of 
about  twelve. 

"  It  is  my  father,"  she  said  in  an  incredulous 
tone.  "  Where  — " 

"  No,  Mademoiselle,  it  is  my  brother,  if  you 
please,"  murmured  one  of  the  sweetest  voices 
in  the  most  perfect  French  she  had  ever  heard 
directly  behind  her. 

Virginia,  bewildered  by  a  sudden  premoni- 
tion that  came  to  her  mind,  introduced  Marcelle 
to  Madame. 

"  Yes,  it  is  my  brother  who  died  in  America," 
Madame  further  informed  them,  "  Does  the 


Marcelle  Arrives  107 

picture  then  bear  such  a  resemblance  to  your 
father,  Mademoiselle  Le  Due?" 

"It  is  my  father;  my  mother  had  a  small 
miniature  just  like  it;  I  have  it  now,"  Marcelle 
declared. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  "  Madame  asked  with 
a  puzzled  look. 

"  Marcelle  Le  Due." 

"  My  brother's  name  was  Marcel  Le  Due  de 
Marne,"  Madame  stated.  "  It  is  strange.  He 
died  in  a  little  Western  town,  Dorset,  Ne- 
braska." 

"  And  his  friend  there  was  a  rector,  Mr. 
Lauderdale,  his  brother  is  the  Due  d'Angouleme 
and  his  sister  Madame  d'Orsai,"  supplied  Mar- 
celle. 

"  It  was  Madame  d'Orsai,  but  is  now  de  Cam- 
panie,"  corrected  Madame.  She  turned  quickly 
as  a  step  sounded  by  the  door  and  the  Due  en- 
tered. 

"  Frangois,  this  is  Mademoiselle  Hammond's 
friend,  Mademoiselle  Le  Due.  She  is  from 
America.  Her  father's  name  was  Marcel  Le 


108  The  Violin  Lady 

Due.  She  says  that  our  brother  is  her  father, 
but,  of  course,  our  Marcel  was  a  bachelor." 

The  Due's  keen  eyes  searched  the  girl's  face. 
"  She  shows  that  she  is  of  our  blood,"  he  de- 
clared. "  Emilie,  whom  does  she  resem- 
ble?" 

"  Berenice,"  Madame  said  with  a  little  sob. 
"  I  was  struck  with  it  at  once.  My  dear,  for- 
give my  rudeness.  Come  sit  by  me  and  let  us 
know  more  of  this  strange  story.  Will  you  tell 
us  about  your  life  in  America  ?  " 

Marcelle,  her  face  colorless,  told  the  shame- 
ful story  of  her  father's  desertion,  after  his 
marriage,  of  his  wife  and  six-year-old  girl,  of 
his  failure  to  provide  for  them  always,  of  her 
mother's  brave  struggle,  her  death.  Marcelle 
treated  her  own  experiences  more  briefly.  She 
had  the  air  of  disdaining  to  appeal  to  the  sym- 
pathies of  her  audience.  She  stated  the  facts 
of  her  life  as  a  street  singer  after  the  Italian 
woman  had  forbidden  her  to  longer  attend  the 
public  schools;  of  her  life  in  a  tenement  filled 
with  the  worst  class  of  foreign  men  and  their 


Marcelle  Arrives  109 

families,  of  Miss  Van  Buren,  of  her  experience 
at  the  Longstreets',  of  her  meeting  with  Vir- 
ginia,—  all  the  merest  details. 

"  You  wonderful  girl !  "  Madame  explained. 
"  I  am  very  proud  of  you.  But  how  you  have 
suffered!  Why  didn't  your  mother  or  you 
ever  write  to  us  ?  " 

"  Because  my  father  gave  us  to  understand 
that  his  family  refused  to  recognize  his  mar- 
riage," Marcelle  explained  with  heightened 
color.  "  And  my  mother  —  the  sweetest,  most 
refined,  the  daintiest  creature  I  ever  knew  — 
would  have  died  rather  than  appeal  to  them. 
I  felt  the  same.  I  came  here,  Monsieur," 
Marcelle  turned  to  the  Due,  "  under  a  misap- 
prehension. Strange  as  it  may  seem,  my 
friend  Miss  Hammond  never  called  you  by  your 
name,  only  your  title,  and  Madame  de  Cam- 
panie's  name  misled  me.  I  shall  no  longer 
trouble  you.  I  shall  return  to  Paris  at  once." 
But  Madame's  arms  about  her  gently  forced 
her  back  beside  her. 

"  My  dear  child !     I  don't  wonder  that  you 


110  The  Violin  Lady 

feel  hard  towards  us ! "  she  said  softly ;  "  but 
you  have  been  cruelly  misinformed.  We 
never  dreamed  that  Marcel  was  married.  He 
rarely  wrote  us,  never  after  the  last  two  years. 
Our  lawyer  sent  him  remittances  at  the  dif- 
ferent addresses  he  sent  him.  Will  you  not 
let  us  know  you  better  now  that  we  have  found 
you?" 

"  You  must  stay,  ma  cherie,  there  are  so 
few  of  us  left.  Your  face  is  credentials 
enough.  My  younger  brother  was,  alas!  a 
sheep  of  the  blackest  type.  He  killed  our 
mother.  Evidently  he  married  under  his 
second  name,  Le  Due.  He  gave  you  his  first 
name.  My  sister's  husband  after  refusing  for 
years  to  assume  his  adopted  father's  name, 
yielded  before  his  death  and  substituted  De 
Campanie  for  d'Orsai.  Now,  we  are  straight ; 
is  it  not  so?  Emilie,  ring  for  Adele  to  show 
the  demoiselles  to  their  rooms,"  ordered  the 
Due. 

Marcelle  was  silent;  Virginia,  who  under- 
stood her  proud,  tried  soul,  knew  that  she 


Marcelle  Arrives  111 

feared  to  break  down.  It  was  not  until  they 
were  alone  in  the  beautiful  suite  of  rooms  ac- 
corded to  them  that  the  tears  came. 

11  They  are  kind;  I  have  misjudged  them; 
but  ah,  Virginia,  is  it  not  a  terrible  thing  to 
have  had  a  lather  like  mine?  "  she  asked. 

Virginia  wanted  to  comfort  her,  but  what 
could  she  say? 

It  was  not  long  before  the  French  girl  had 
regained  her  composure.  She  had  learned 
self-mastery  in  a  hard  school. 

Adele,  a  bright,  vivacious  maid,  laid  out 
their  dinner  gowns  and  waited  upon  them. 
But  the  girls  wanted  to  be  alone  and  soon  dis- 
missed her. 

After  the  formal  dinner  they  talked  over 
matters. 

"  But  your  French  is  excellent,  Marcelle !  " 
Madame  exclaimed  in  a  surprised  voice. 

"  My  father  spoke  it  always  at  home  and  my 
mother  acquired  it  easily.  Then  I  studied  it 
further  under  a  fine  teacher  at  Madame  Long- 
street's,"  the  girl  explained. 


112  The  Violin  Lady 

"  All  these  years  to  atone  for !  "  Madame 
exclaimed  sadly. 

Doctor  de  Thevenau  arrived  with  four 
young  people.  The  evening  passed  delight- 
fully. Virginia  played,  Marcelle  sang.  The 
Due  was  amazed  at  her  voice.  There  were 
games.  After  the  refreshments  the  doctor, 
before  leaving,  had  a  few  words  with  Vir- 
ginia. 

"  Emilie  has  told  me  of  the  discovery.  She 
is  greatly  distressed  over  it.  Do  what  you  can 
to  urge  your  friend  to  yield  to  whatever  she 
asks.  She  admires  Mademoiselle  Marcelle  im- 
mensely; aren't  you  jealous? " 

Virginia  only  smiled. 

"  But  I  am  so  puzzled  over  something  else," 
she  said  eagerly.  She  told  him  of  the  paying 
of  her  bills  by  unknown  people. 

"  I  wish  I  knew,"  she  said ;  "  perhaps  I  ought 
not  to  accept  it." 

The  doctor's  gray  eyes  twinkled.  "  I  hardly 
see  what  you  can  do.  To  accept  or  not  to  ac- 
cept is  not  the  question.  It  is  entirely  out  of 


Marcelle  Arrives  113 

your  hands.  Why  distress  yourself  over  what 
if  you  did  know  doubtless  would  seem  all  right 
to  you.  Take  the  goods  the  gods  send,  and  en- 
joy whatever  comes/' 

Sunday  after  service  in  the  little  chapel  down 
the  road  a  mile,  the  Due  asked  to  have  a  private 
interview  with  Marcelle,  while  Virginia  stayed 
with  Madame. 

"  Virginia,"  she  said ;  "  the  doctor  is  unman- 
ageable; he  insists  on  our  speedy  marriage. 
He  has  been,  he  says,  very  patient.  So  I've 
yielded.  Francois  is  quite  put  out  with  me  be- 
cause it  is  to  be  so  very  quiet  and  simple.  The 
doctor  is  worn  out  with  those  nerve-racking 
operations,  though  he  won't  acknowledge  it, 
and  I  only  think  of  getting  him  away.  I  have 
had  some  pretty  gowns  made,  and  I  want  you 
and  Marcelle  to  be  here  at  nine  Wednesday 
morning.  We  shall  only  have  a  half-dozen 
relatives,  the  ceremony  followed  by  a  break- 
fast." 

"  How  delightful,  dear  Madame,  that  two 
of  my  best  friends  are  to  be  married !  "  cried 


114  The  Violin  Lady 

Virginia.  She  thought  she  had  never  seen 
Madame  look  so  charming  as  now  in  her  white 
gown.  Her  dark  red  hair  was  handsomely 
dressed,  and  her  face,  bright  and  animated, 
looked  far  younger  than  that  day  when  she 
first  saw  her. 

"  Virginia  dear/'  Madame  said,  "  I  believe 
I  shall  tell  you  what  this  marriage  means  to 
us.  You  see,  when  I  was  a  girl  less  than 
twenty,  just  out  of  the  convent,  my  parents, 
almost  as  soon  as  they  welcomed  me  home,  in- 
formed me  that  I  was  to  marry  Henri  d'Orsai. 
There  were  reasons  financial  and  otherwise 
why  it  seemed  especially  desirable. 

"  I  pleaded  for  more  time  and  we  compro- 
mised on  six  months.  I  had  not  been  home  a 
week  when  Philippe  de  Thevenau  came.  I 
managed  to  see  him  alone  on  the  piazza  and 
told  him  the  terrible  news.  You  see,  we  had 
known  each  other  as  children  and  promised  to 
marry  when  we  were  grown.  I  had  seen  more 
of  him  than  is  usual  with  French  girls  because 
his  parents  were  friends  of  mine  —  his  father 


Marcelle  Arrives  115 

was  Comte  d' Anton.  We  were  most  unhappy, 
desolated,  but  there  was  no  hope." 

"  Pardon  me,  Madame,"  Virginia  inter- 
rupted impulsively,  "  I  cannot  understand  why 
it  was  so  hopeless !  " 

Madame  opened  astonished  eyes.  "  Why, 
my  child,  my  parents  would  not  allow  it.  One 
must  always  obey  when  they  command.  You 
see,  Philippe  was  the  third  son;  his  family 
were  fine  but  poor.  He  would  have  neither 
money  nor  title.  We  must  both  marry  for 
money.  So  I  became  Madame  d'Orsai.  I 
shed  many  tears,  but  I  made  Henri  a  good 
wife.  He  was  much  older  than  I,  and  as  the 
years  passed  he  grew  full  of  caprices  and  — 
that  funny  American  word  you  say  —  yes, 
cranky.  But  he  was  often  kind  and  we  had 
money  —  ah,  yes,  of  a  cart-load.  Then  when 
Victoire  came  I  was  happy.  Monsieur  le 
docteur  married  later,  a  rich  widow  —  with  a 
child  —  you  have  seen  Heloise?  But  the  wife 
did  not  live  long.  Two  years  ago  Monsieur 
de  Campanie  died  quite  suddenly.  Then,  as 


116  The  Violin  Lady 

you  know,  came  my  greatest  sorrow,  my  adored 
Victoire's  fatal  accident.  I  wish  we  were  both 
far  younger  —  Philippe  and  I  —  but  I  need 
him.  He  is  so  strong,  so  capable,  yet  so  ten- 
der. I  hope  the  good  God  may  allow  us  many 
years  together  even  now  — " 

They  looked  up  as  the  Due  and  Marcelle 
entered.  The  conversation  became  general. 
It  was  only  after  they  were  in  their  rooms  that 
Marcelle  began  eagerly :  "  Virginia,  the  Due 
will  not  understand.  He  offers  me  a  certain 
income  but  only  if  I  will  give  up  my  profes- 
sion. Just  fancy,  after  all  my  struggles  and 
study,  and  just  as  I  have  gained  a  little  footing, 
to  turn  my  back  on  it  all  and  lead  a  life  object- 
less and  idle.  I  tried  to  show  him  my  point 
of  view,  but  he  wouldn't  see  it  at  all.  His  face 
is  so  cold  and  relentless.  He  reminds  me  of 
my  idea  of  the  elder  son  in  the  parable. 
Heaven  knows  there  is  no  excuse  for  my 
father,  and  I  can  appreciate  in  part  at  least 
all  the  shame  and  grief  he  brought  to  them,  but 
I  could  not  help  resenting  it  secretly  when  he 


Marcelle  Arrives  117 

said  with  such  bitterness  and  scorn :  '  It 
seems  incomprehensible  to  me  that  in  such  a 
family  as  ours,  the  best  blood  of  France,  we 
should  have  had  such  a  blot,  such  a  disgrace 
as  Marcel.  I  am  sorry  he  gave  you  his  name. 
It  means  to  us  only  horror  and  shame.  We, 
Mademoiselle,'  he  threw  back  his  head  and 
looked  at  me,  Virginia,  as  if  I  were  an  alien 
and  could  never  comprehend,  as  I  can't,  '  we 
have  had  enough  disgrace  with  my  brother; 
we  have  never  entered  trade  or  had  plebeian 
tastes  otherwise,  and  I  am  determined  to  pre- 
vent it  so  long  as  I  am  head  of  the  family.  To 
think  of  a  woman  of  our  close  kin,  a  woman  of 
our  race,  singing  before  the  masses,  earning 
money  like  any  common  shop-girl,  is  not  only 
repugnant  to  me  but  it  is  impossible.  I  sup- 
posed that  you  who  have  endured  so  much,  who 
have  sunk  so  low,  would  have  most  gratefully 
and  eagerly  accepted  my  offer.  It  is  a  shock 
to  me  to  find  you  —  pardon  me  —  so  obstinate 
and  unreasonable,  and  with  all  your  outward 
refinement  with  a  touch  of  the  canaille' 


118  The  Violin  Lady 

" '  Monsieur,'  I  said  as  calmly  as  I  could, 
'  do  you  not  think  that  Heaven  gives  gifts  to 
the  high  born  as  well  as  the  humble?  I  feel 
that  my  voice  was  given  to  me  in  trust  to  make 
the  very  most  of  it,  to  use  it  for  the  pleasure 
of  the  greatest  number.  I  have  worked  as  you 
cannot  imagine  to  reach  this  goal,  and  now  just 
as  I  am  offered  a  chance  to  make  good  you  in- 
sist on  my  giving  it  all  up,  and  for  what  ?  Not 
for  any  plain  duty,  not  for  some  high  purpose, 
but  merely  that  you  may  be  able  to  feel  and 
say  that  no  woman  of  your  blood  has  received 
an  equivalent  for  service,  has  never  used  her 
voice  professionally.  Even  if  I  were  willing  I 
could  not  break  my  word,  my  contract.  I  am 
bound  to  fulfill  my  agreement  with  Monsieur 
Van  Anden.  It  would  mean  loss  and  disap- 
pointment to  him.' 

"  '  I  should  make  it  up  to  him,'  the  Due  said, 
still  in  that  scornful,  contemptuous  manner. 

"  '  It  is  impossible  to  make  it  up,'  I  said 
warmly.  '  I  cannot  think  of  such  a  thing.' 

"  '  Then  you  refuse  my  offer,  you  refuse  to 


Marcelle  Arrives  119 

live  as  a  lady  of  rank,  you  prefer  to  be  a 
plebeian  ?  '  he  demanded,  not  angrily  but  in  that 
cold  repressed  tone  which  acts  on  me  like  a 
plunge  into  ice  cold  water  or  a  blast  of  freez- 
ing wind  shriveling  up  my  better  feelings. 

"  I  bowed  assent.  He  rose  and  so  did  I. 
Just  as  I  turned  to  the  door  he  cried  out  as  if 
he  couldn't  help  it :  '  You  look  now  just  like 
my  youngest  sister  Berenice;  but  she  always 
did  as  I  said ;  she  was  gentle,  docile,  amenable. 
Ah,  Mademoiselle,  you  are  throwing  away  the 
opportunity  of  a  lifetime,  the  chance  of  mar- 
riage which  would  bring  you  honor  and  prob- 
ably high  position.' 

"  '  I  do  not  wish  to  marry,  Monsieur;  I  think 
as  you  evidently  do,  that  celibacy  is  the  safest 
plan;  but  I  have  much  that  you  have  not,  I 
have  my  voice,  a  purpose  in  life.'  I  know  that 
it  was  impertinent,  but  I  yielded  to  impulse." 

"  It  seems  so  strange  from  our  point  of 
view,"  Virginia  said,  "  that  any  one  should  be 
so  narrow  and  self-centered!  It  is  more  like 
a  by-gone  age.  The  Due  was  born  too  late. 


120  The  Violin  Lady 

He  looks  with  horror  at  these  modern  times. 
He  sighs  for  the  old  days  of  royalty,  and  the 
reign  of  rank  and  blood  blue.  He  clings  to 
his  title  in  this  new  and  disconcerting  republic. 
He  cannot  understand  Doctor  de  Thevenau's 
father  and  others  casting  aside  theirs.  Still, 
I  don't  believe  Madame  would  agree  with  him." 
"  She  is  gentler  and  kinder,  but,  Virginia, 
the  French  way  of  looking  at  life  and  at  women 

—  especially  the  majority  of  the  higher  classes 

—  is  so  entirely  different  from  the  American 
standpoint  that  it  is  impossible  to  come  to  any 
agreement." 

And  Virginia,  remembering  Madame's 
views  in  regard  to  marriage,  her  attitude  to- 
wards the  Due,  a  dozen  little  details,  felt  the 
truth  of  Marcelle's  statement. 

"  Still,  many  French  women  are  adopting 
a  broader  outlook,"  she  added  hopefully. 
"  Well,  the  French  methods  in  regard  to  girls 
may  be,  as  Aunt  Henrietta  says,  superior  in 
many  ways  to  ours,  but  I  am  thankful  it  was 
my  fate  to  be  born  an  American." 


Marcelle  Arrives  121 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  Marcelle  assented;  "  if 
we  were  in  our  humble  abode  on  1'Echelle 
Street,  instead  of  within  the  sacred  walls  of 
my  ancestry,  I  should  sing  at  the  top  of  my 
lungs  the  '  Star  Spangled  Banner.'  Instead, 
we  had  better  forget  the  house  of  d'Angouleme 
and  fall  into  the  plebeian  sleep  of  common 
mortals." 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   WEDDING 

THE  following  morning  —  Monday  — 
the  girls  left  early.  The  Due  was 
courteous,  but  as  Marcelle  remarked 
later  to  Virginia,  "  chilly."  Virginia  admired 
her  friend  more  than  she  had  ever  done.  It 
was  a  difficult  position  and  she  felt  it,  but  her 
manner  was  perfect;  dignified  yet  agreeable. 
Indeed,  she  would  have  even  been  approved  by 
the  dead  and  gone  paragons  of  the  d'Angou- 
leme  ancestry,  thought  Virginia.  The  latter 
devoted  herself  to  the  head  of  the  house,  leav- 
ing Marcelle  to  the  gracious  Madame.  Both 
girls  were  glad  when  they  were  en  route  for 
their  rooms.  Marcelle  sang  under  her  breath 
as  they  sped  cityward  in  the  handsome  car: 
"  Be  it  ever  so  humble  there's  no  place  like 
home." 


The  Wedding  123 

After  lunch,  as  it  was  refreshingly  cool,  Vir- 
ginia went  to  do  some  shopping,  leaving  Mar- 
celle  to  write  letters.  She  was  detained  much 
longer  than  she  intended,  and  when  she  re- 
turned found  her  friend  rather  "  on  her  up- 
pers," as  Lucinda  Dildine  would  say. 

"  Thine  eyes  show  undue  exhilaration,  mon 
amie,"  she  said  as  she  came  in. 

"  Virginia,  I've  done  something  I  already 
regret.  I  wish  that  I  'had  listened  to  my 
cooler,  saner  self.  But  I  didn't,  alas ! " 

"Has  the  Due  been  here ?" 

"  No,  but  his  sister  came.  She  was  so  kind 
and  appealing  she  disarmed  me.  The  Due 
must  have  repeated  to  her  our  interview,  at 
least  part  of  it.  She  told  me  that  I  must  not 
forget  that  I  was  her  niece,  that  she  felt  already 
strongly  drawn  towards  me;  that  her  brother 
was  very  positive  and  accustomed  to  rule,  but 
that  I  must  not  resent  it.  She  herself  had 
often  felt  it.  '  But,  my  dear,'  she  said  ear- 
nestly, '  we  women  must  yield  to  the  stronger, 
sterner  sex.  It  was  always  so  intended.  I 


124  The  Violin  Lady 

am,  as  Virginia  has  doubtless  told  you,  to  be 
married  and  leave  my  brother.  It  would  be 
such  a  relief  and  pleasure  to  me  to  know  that 
you  would  be  with  him  for  a  while  at  least. 
We  could  easily  arrange  for  a  cousin  to  chap- 
eron you.  Won't  you  reconsider  your  deci- 
sion?' I  told  her  it  was  impossible.  I  tried 
to  make  her  see  my  side  of  it,  but  while  much 
sweeter  she  had  as  little  sympathy  with  me  as 
the  Due.  When  she -found  that  I  was  firm, 
she  begged  me  to  accept  a  small  gift  from  her. 
She  said  that  her  husband  had  left  her  a  large 
fortune,  that  she  had  no  child  to  inherit,  and 
she  wished  to  put  in  the  bank  a  sum  for  my  use. 
I  refused  as  gently  as  possible ;  but  I  could  not 
bear  to  see  the  tears  in  her  eyes  and  to  listen 
to  her  plea.  I  felt  like  some  cold-blooded 
creature  turning  down  a  generous,  sweet- 
natured  child.  I  gave  in  and  she  went  away 
smiling  and  as  happy  as  if  I  had  given  to  her 
instead  of  the  other  way  round.  She  is  cer- 
tainly dear." 

"  You  did  just  right,"  Virginia  said  deci- 


The  Wedding  125 

sively.  "  I'm  afraid,  Marcelle,  you  are  as 
proud  in  your  way  as  the  Due  in  his.  I  think 
it  would  have  been  unforgivable  in  you  to  re- 
fuse Madame.  As  she  says,  you  are  her  flesh 
and  blood;  she  has  more  than  she  can  use  and 
is  to  marry  a  man  of  large  means.  If  she  longs 
to  give  a  small  part  of  her  fortune  to  you,  why 
refuse?" 

"  I  suppose  I  have  too  much  pride/'  Marcelle 
said  thoughtfully.  "  No  one  has  ever  told  me 
before  —  you  see,  I  am  so  alone.  I  don't  want 
to  be  hateful  or  ungrateful,  but  I  do  so  long 
to  be  independent  of  my  father's  people.  He 
was  only  a  thorn  in  their  side,  and  I  don't  want 
to  remind  them  of  their  disgrace  or  to  accept 
their  bounty.  The  Due  even  hates  my  name, 
which  he  says  '  reminds  us  only  of  horror  and 
shame.' " 

"  But  his  sister  doesn't  say  so  or  feel  so," 
Virginia  declared.  "  While  her  outlook  is  dif- 
ferent from  ours,  she  is  a  dear  sweet  woman. 
Her  upbringing  and  environment  have  made 
her  what  she  is ;  but  she  is  to  marry  a  man  of 


126  The  Violin  Lady 

broader  views  and  wider  experience.  He  will 
influence  her,  I  feel  sure,  positivement,  as 
Camondreau  says." 

"  I  insisted  on  showing  Madame  the  picture 
of  my  father,  a  ring  he  had  had  given  him 
by  his  father,  a  few  letters  he  had  written  to 
my  mother  during  his  courtship  and  later:  I 
did  not  want  them  to  have  any  doubts  as  to 
my  identity,  though  I  am  not  proud  of  belong- 
ing to  my  father !  " 

Later,  when  Virginia  rejoined  Marcelle, 
after  a  strenuous  hour  of  violin  practice,  the 
latter  said :  "  I've  been  writing  to  a  French 
woman  in  Berlin  to  whom  I  taught  English,  or 
tried  to  teach  it.  She  labored  over  it  early  and 
late  and  was  far  from  dull,  but  I  never  realized 
before  how  difficult,  and  as  some  one  has  said, 
how  '  exasperatingly  contrary '  our  language 
must  be  to  all  but  ourselves.  Mademoiselle 
Panache  came  to  me  and  said  with  such  a  de- 
lighted air :  '  It  is  very  anguish  to-day.' 
'What?'  I  asked,  puzzled.  'Anguish,'  she 
repeated ;  '  I  find,'  she  went  on  in  French,  '  that 


The  Wedding  127 

anguish  in  the  dictionary  means  chilly.' 
Another  time  she  said,  '  I  saw  to-day  in  the 
country,  Mademoiselle,  a  flock  of  pork  ' ;  mean- 
ing a  drove  of  hogs.  She  spoke  once  of  bread 
dough,  pronouncing  it  duff;  when  I  corrected 
her  she  said,  '  But  you  don't  say  thoruff  for 
thorough;  and  cough  is  coff,  and  trough  is 
troff,  and  rough  is  ruff,  yet  bough  is  bow.' 
She  persisted  in  calling  laugh  loaf.  She  de- 
clared she  devoured  a  spider  because  the  dic- 
tionary said  that  devour  meant  to  destroy.  It 
puzzled  her  so  to  use  can  as  a  verb  meaning 
to  be  able  and  also  to  preserve  fruit  in  air-tight 
vessels;  and  she  couldn't  realize  that  we  have 
two  words,  both  adjectives  and  both  spelled 
alike  —  light  —  and  that  the  one  means  bright, 
clear,  the  other  not  heavy,  volatile,  gay.  And 
that  sight  and  site  and  cite  are  all  pronounced 
alike  yet  have  such  different  meanings  and  are 
spelled  differently;  also  mine  as  well.  Beet  a 
vegetable  and  beat  to  strike  was  confusing,  and 
when  she  heard  a  boy  in  our  pension  calling  to 
a  child  '  Beat  it ! '  and  found  it  meant  neither, 


128  The  Violin  Lady 

she  was  in  despair,  even  when  I  told  her  it  was 
slang,  which  she  thought  such  a  funny  word. 
And  there  was  bear  the  noun  and  bear  the  verb 
entirely  dissimilar." 

"  I  never  half  appreciated  it,"  Virginia  said, 
in  a  surprised  tone ; "  French  is  certainly  easier ; 
I  much  prefer  it  as  a  study." 

Virginia  had  bought  a  new  hat  frame,  and 
Marcelle,  who  had  a  born  knack  inherited  from 
her  mother  for  millinery,  had  offered  to  cover 
it.  She  transferred  the  lace  and  burnt  orange 
rosettes  from  a  hat  of  a  passe  shape,  and  lo! 
a  miracle  of  style  and  becomingness,  Virginia 
declared  joyfully  as  she  tried  it  on.  It  matched 
her  black  lace  gown  over  burnt  orange  silk, 
which  with  Elizabeth's  gift  of  long  white 
gloves  gave  her  a  suitable  costume  for  the  little 
wedding. 

Wednesday  they  set  off  in  one  of  the  doctor's 
machines ;  he  insisted  on  sending  for  them. 

"  Your  relatives  will  be  very  proud  of  you," 
Virginia  told  Marcelle,  looking  at  her  with  ap- 
preciative eyes. 


The  Wedding  129 

"  Nonsense !  "  scoffed  the  other,  but  pleased 
in  spite  of  her  tone.  Marcelle  was  far  from 
possessing  Virginia's  rare  beauty,  but  her  face 
showed  a  peculiar  strength  and  interest.  Her 
form  was  tall  and  slender,  every  movement  full 
of  grace.  Her  gown  of  her  favorite  pale  yel- 
low under  dark  brown  net  and  a  hat  of  shaded 
yellows  and  browns  suited  her  dark,  foreign 
face. 

As  they  drove  into  the  grounds  Virginia  ex- 
claimed delightedly :  "  I  believe  they  are  go- 
ing to  have  the  ceremony  out  of  doors !  " 

There,  under  a  magnificent-  old  oak,  was  an 
impromptu  altar  covered  with  white  linen  with 
flowers  and  vines  above  it.  The  guests  were 
standing  or  sitting,  numbering  a  few  more  than 
Madame  had  at  first  intended. 

The  Due  came  to  meet  them  as  they  alighted. 
A  few  moments  later  came  the  chaplain  in  his 
vestments.  A  small  orchestra  concealed  by 
shrubbery  played  a  new  and  beautiful  air  un- 
familiar to  the  girls.  Then  from  the  side 
entrance  of  the  chateau  came  the  two,  Madame 


130  The  Violin  Lady 

in  a  white  silk  gown  simply  made  to  show  her 
superb  figure,  the  doctor  masterful  and  strong, 
his  tall  erect  figure  as  he  led  his  bride  remind- 
ing one  of  a  soldier.  But  Virginia's  eyes  were 
held  by  his  expression.  Happiness  did  not 
wholly  express  it.  It  was,  as  Madame  would 
say,  "  of  a  reverence."  Once  before  the  little 
altar  the  solemn  service  was  rendered.  After 
the  expressive  pause  following  the  benediction, 
the  friends  crowded  around  the  two  to  tender 
their  congratulations. 

Virginia  was  struck  afresh  by  Madame's 
thought  for  others.  She  saw  to  it  that  Mar- 
celle  was  introduced  to  her  cousins,  two  young 
girls,  a  cadet  from  a  military  school,  and  her 
friends  as  "our  niece,  Mademoiselle  de 
Marne." 

Virginia  glanced  quickly  at  Marcelle  as  the 
unaccustomed  name  fell  on  her  ears,  but  the 
girl  gave  no  sign. 

"  Have  you  forgotten  me,  Mademoiselle 
Hammond  ?  "  a  high  girlish  voice  demanded 
at  Virginia's  elbow,  and,  turning,  she  found 


The  Wedding  131 

herself  facing  Heloise  Maurice,  the  doctor's 
stepdaughter. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  papa's  latest  in 
matrimony  ?  "  she  asked  flippantly. 

"  If  you  are  speaking  of  Madame  de  Cam- 
panic,  I  think  that  any  man  is  most  fortunate 
to  win  a  woman  like  her,"  Virginia  answered 
gravely. 

Heloise  shrugged.     Her  black  eyes  snapped. 

"  Sophie  d'Aventine  says  that  my  good  times 
are  over  now.  She  has  a  stepmother,  and  she 
is  horrible!  Sophie  doesn't  mind  so  much  now 
because  she  is  only  at  home  on  the  long  vaca- 
tions, and  she  will  marry  very  young,  as  I 
shall." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  your  father's  new  wife  who 
is  to  be  pitied.  I  have  a  stepmother  who  has 
always  been  my  best  friend." 

"Well,  it's  rather  hard  luck  to  have  two 
steps  as  I  have,"  Heloise  went  on.  "  Papa's 
not  so  bad,  and  then  I  don't  see  much  of  him 
at  the  convent  and  his  being  so  busy.  His 
sister  chaperones  me  summers.  She's  very 


132  The  Violin  Lady 

easy,  but  so  shocked  all  the  time  at  what  I  say 
and  do.  She  says  I'm  like  what  she  hears 
about  the  worst  American  children.  But  I 
shall  be  my  own  mistress  before  long.  I  have 
a  dot  that  will  tempt  any  man;  that  is,  if  papa 
has  not  dipped  into  it ;  he  is  my  guardian.  My 
mother  left  him  a  great  deal,  but  men  are  not 
always  to  be  trusted  where  money  is  concerned ; 
is  it  not  so  ?  " 

"  Your  father  has  earned  a  great  deal,"  Vir- 
ginia said,  "  but,  far  more  than  that,  he  has  a 
wonderful  reputation  for  skill  in  his  profes- 
sion. Think  of  the  good  he  has  done  and  is 
doing !  You  ought  to  be  proud  to  be  connected 
with  him." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know."  The  girl's  eyes  re- 
garded Virginia  coolly  and  deliberately.  "  He 
is  no  god  when  seen  too  closely.  He  can  be 
stern,  and  he  has  temper  on  occasion.  Ah, 
here  comes  the  new  mamma!  I  must  make 
eyes  at  her,  and,  as  Sister  Anne  Marthe  bade 
me,  have  on  my  prettiest  manners." 

Virginia  with  a  feeling  of  repulsion  she  had 


The  Wedding  133 

never  before  felt  towards  children  or  younger 
girls,  saw  her  companion  run  towards  Madame 
de  Thevenau  with  eagerness;  then  when  near 
she  curtsied  profoundly.  Madame  put  an  arm 
about  her  as  she  approached  Virginia. 

"  I  hope,  my  dear,  you  have  met  every  one," 
she  said.  "  We  are  to  have  breakfast  under 
the  trees  out  here;  I  fancied  it  this  glorious 
weather.  I  am  at  last  to  have  a  daughter. 
Virginie,  don't  you  envy  me  ?  " 

"  I  am  glad,  Madame,  that  you  are  to  have 
what  you  most  wish,"  Virginia  responded,  as 
Heloise  modestly  cast  down  her  eyes. 

A  pretty  young  girl  came  up  to  them. 
"  Heloise,"  she  said,  "  my  mother  wishes  for 
you-  a  moment,  if  Madame  will  kindly  allow 
you." 

As  the  two  went  off  Madame  held  out  a 
small  note  towards  Virginia. 

She  spoke  hurriedly :  "  It  is  for  Marcelle. 
I  confess  to  you,  Virginie,  that  I  am  afraid  of 
her.  She  is  so  self-contained,  so  wise,  so  ... 
what  shall  I  say?  ...  so  strong  in  the 


134  The  Violin  Lady 

mind  .  .  .  that  I  actually  shrink  from  giving 
her  this.  Will  you  kindly  do  so  ?  " 

"  Marcelle  is  determined,  Madame,  it  is 
true,"  Virginia  laughed,  "  but  she  is  not  at  all 
to  be  feared.  She  is  just  " —  the  girl  spoke 
earnestly  — "  a  girl  after  all,  but  life  was  for 
her  a  hard  school  when  she  most  needed  care 
and  love.  She  feels  as  I  do,  that  she  must  use 
her  musical  gift  to  the  utmost,  that  she  holds 
it  in  trust." 

Madame  threw  out  her  beautiful  hands  in  a 
gesture  of  abandon.  "  Thou  too,  Virginia ! 
I  cannot  understand  these  modern  ways;  I  am 
old-fashioned." 

"  If  you  are,  Madame,  it  is  a  charming 
fashion,"  Virginia  found  herself  saying  sin- 
cerely. "There  is  Marcelle  making  a  sign," 
she  went  on.  "  She  is  to  sing ;  is  it  not 
so?" 

The  girls  had  been  quite  distressed  over  their 
inability  to  give  their  friend  a  wedding  gift. 
It  seemed  a  farce  to  give  her  the  usual  simpler 
things  when  she  was  overwhelmed  with  them 


The  Wedding  135 

already;  it  was  out  of  the  question  to  buy 
costly  gifts. 

'  Then  Madame  had  begged  that  they  do  her 
a  great  favor,  so  great  she  felt  backward  in 
asking  it;  it  was  not  to  dance  at  her  wedding 
but  to  allow  her  guests  to  enjoy  their  musical 
gifts.  Marcelle  stood  out  in  the  open  and  ac- 
companied by  Virginia  sang  a  group  of  Schu- 
bert's songs,  "  Who  is  Sylvia?  "  Harm's  "  Si 
mes  vers  "  and  A.  Goring  Thomas'  "  Song  of 
Sunshine."  Then  Virginia  played  Wiehelmi's 
Polonaise  followed  at  Madame's  request  by 
"The  Thrush's  Wooing."  The  unexpected 
recital  was  a  great  success.  In  the  midst  of 
the  shower  of  compliments  the  Due  alone  stood 
aloof :  he  wished  to  show  Marcelle  that  he  en- 
tirely disapproved  of  her  profession,  for  her  at 
least. 

The  breakfast  out  of  doors,  served  at  small 
tables,  was  charming.  Then  Virginia  slipped 
away  with  the  bride  when  she  changed  into  her 
going-away  gown.  The  maid  deftly  removed 

the  white  gown,  and,  as  she  disappeared  on 


136  The  Violin  Lady 

some  errand,  Madame  said  under  her  breath 
to  the  girl :  "  It  seemed  foolish  not  to  wear 
my  traveling  suit  to  be  married  in,  but  Philippe 
begged  for  the  white  —  did  you  see  the  ex- 
quisite necklace  he  gave  me?  —  and  he  begged 
so  hard  for  me  not  to  wear  mourning  for  dar- 
ling Victoire  —  the  Due  was  so  shocked,  and 
my  friends  that  I  thought  I  could  not  persist 
—  but  when  it  is  a  choice  between  one's  hus- 
band-to-be and  a  brother,  it  is  one's  duty  to 
obey  the  husband.  Have  you,  too,  wondered 
at  that,  and  at  my  being  married  so  soon? 
You  are,  I've  heard,  more  independent  in  your 
country.  Ah,  Virginia,  I  need  Philippe  now 
more  than  any  time,  and  he  needs  care  and 
looking  after;  he  is  so  tired!  I  never  forget 
my  darling  boy ;  sometimes  I  wish  I  might  have 
oblivion  for  weeks;  but  Philippe  says  it  is 
braver,  if  more  difficult,  to  meet  such  trouble 
with  thought  and  work  for  others,  and  he,  alas ! 
knows." 

Just  before  she  went  down  the  stairs  she 
turned  and  took  Virginia's  hands  in  hers.     "  I 


The  Wedding  137 

felt  that  I  wanted  some  one  young  and  sweet 
with  me  when  I  prepared  to  leave  my  home," 
she  said  wistfully ;  "  you,  my  dear,  have  done 
so  much  for  me  —  Philippe  says  it  is  you  who 
have  given  me  to  him." 

And  before  the  girl  could  reply,  she  was  half- 
way down  the  stairs  in  her  perfectly-made  gray 
suit  with  her  hat  of  gray  silk  and  pansies,  look- 
ing in  her  happiness  far  younger  than  her 
years. 

They  went  off,  followed  by  good  wishes  and 
showers  of  rice.  Then  the  girls,  bidding  the 
Due  and  the  Baronne  de  Guiche,  who  had  un- 
dertaken the  role  of  temporary  hostess,  good- 
by,  were  whirled  off  to  Paris. 

When  at  home  Virginia  gave  Marcelle  the 
bride's  note.  The  girl  looked  up  after  read- 
ing it  with  a  pale,  scared  face. 

"  Virginia,"  Marcelle  said,  excitedly,  "  I 
must  be  dreaming!  Madame  writes  that  she 
has  just  placed  in  the  Banque  de  France  the 
sum  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  to  my 
credit!  I  cannot  take  it.  It  is  not  as  if  it 


138  The  Violin  Lady 

were  from  the  Due;  it  is  from  her  own  for- 
tune." 

"  You  must,"  Virginia  cried  in  a  joyful 
voice.  "Ah,  Marcelle,  I  am  so  thankful  for 
you !  I  always  said  that  your  star  would  soon 
be  in  the  ascendant !  Behold  the  prophetess !  " 

"  It  is  most  welcome,  and  I  am  very  grate- 
ful, but  " —  Marcelle  set  her  lips  in  a  way  that 
reminded  Virginia  of  Alan  Kingsbury  — 
"  you'll  think  me  horrid,  but  oh,  I  want  to 
carve  out  my  own  future.  I  want  to  earn  my 
own  money  through  my  voice.  It's  my  asset, 
don't  you  know?  And  I  want  to  see  what  I 
can  do  with  it." 

"  Well,  you  can  do  it  just  the  same,  and  I  — 
how  little  I  thought  that  I  should  ever  travel 
with  an  heiress !  " 

"  Virginia,  do  take  part  of  it,"  urged  Mar- 
celle eagerly. 

"  I  cannot.  Why,  Marcelle,  Madame  gave 
it  to  you,  not  me.  If  I  ever  need  money  I 
promise  to  come  to  you.  Now  do  let  us  talk 
over  the  wedding.  I  think  it  was  lovely." 


The  Wedding  139 

Madame  Victoire  came  in  ostensibly  to  see 
if  the  new  charwoman  had  dusted  properly. 
She  lingered. 

"  The  wedding  of  Madame  must  have 
been  of  a  beauty  most  charming?  "  she  ven- 
tured. 

A  heart  of  stone  could  not  resist  the  appeal. 
Virginia's  heart  being  of  wax  melted.  She 
gave  a  glowing  account  of  the  whole  affair 
even  to  the  breakfast  menu,  the  number  of 
servants,  the  famous  chef,  the  costumes. 
Madame,  whose  life  was  mostly  dull  prose, 
drank  in  the  poetry  of  this  scene  from  another 
world  with  eyes  and  ears. 

"  It  isn't  often  in  this  world,"  she  said, 
"  that  the  good  and  great  get  their  deserts  until 
they're  dead !  But  the  doctor  seems  to  be  get- 
ting his;  though,  of  course,  he's  no  longer 
young,  and  it  may  be  his  happiness  comes  too 
late.  But  the  good  God  will  surely  have  mercy 
on  a  man  who  has  cut  off  so  many  legs  and 
arms  and  sewed  up  so  many  gashes,  and  fooled 
Death  a  thousand  times.  They  say  there  are 


140  The  Violin  Lady 

some  who  have  purgatory  here  and  so  escape 
that  in  the  other  world,  and  surely  Monsieur  le 
Docteur  had  it  in  his  first  marriage.  Therese 
Crepin  was  the  first  of  Madame  de  Thevenau's 
maids,  and  she  says  that  if  ever  there  was  a 
martyr  the  doctor  was  one;  and  if  ever  there 
was  a  nagger  and  a  virago,  his  wife  was  both. 
And  her  girl  was  almost  as  bad  —  and  the  doc- 
tor so  fond  of  children !  Look  how  he  fathered 
Adrien!  Ah!  but  Therese  knows!  A  maid 
sees  and  hears  things  no  one  else  does,  and  one 
night  when  things  were  the  worst  and  Madame 
screamed  like  any  plebeian,  '  Philippe,  thou 
stone,  thou  thing  of  a  dumbness,  canst  thou 
not  speak  ? '  And  Monsieur  le  Docteur  as  he 
hurried  from  the  room  groaned  and  said  as  he 
passed  Therese  in  the  dark  hall :  '  It  is  my 
punishment,  I  must  bear  it ! '  As  if  he  ever 
did  wrong!  And  Therese  said  he  worked 
harder  and  harder  at  his  cutting,  and  always 
he  grew  more  and  more  famous,  but  at  home 
was  a  cancer  he  could  not  cure,  eating  into  his 
heart  and  home.  But  hein!  the  good  God 


The  Wedding  141 

even  could  no  longer  endure,  and  one  day  he 
freed  Monsieur  from  the  mother,  but  for 
reasons  best  known  to  himself  left  the  daugh- 
ter behind!" 

"Ah,  Madame,"  Virginia  said  hastily; 
"  don't  let  me  forget  to  ask  you  how  to  make 
that  new  salad  you  told  me  about." 

And  Madame,  in  her  element,  fell  into  the 
trap  and  forgot  the  graver  theme. 

As  the  door  closed  on  the  voluble  landlady 
the  girls  looked  at  each  other. 

"  I  feel  as  if  I  had  helped  at  a  sacrilege," 
Virginia  said;  "  I  tried  twice  to  stop  her,  but 
Madame's  tongue  is  as  difficult  to  check  as 
Niagara.  I  can  well  believe  what  she  says  of 
Heloise;  ah,  how  I  pity  Madame!  I  am  glad 
that  the  girl  will  be  at  school  a  while  longer  and 
not  spoil  the  Paradise  of  the  lovers  at  the  first 
anyhow ! " 

"  Virginia !  you  who  used  to  scorn  marriage 
—  is  it  possible  that  you  are  growing  senti- 
mental?" 

"  I  always  believed  in  it  for  others ;  it  is  only 


142  The  Violin  Lady 

for  myself  that  I  prefer  other  things  as  you 
do." 

"  Love  is  a  strange  monopoly ! "  Marcelle 
exclaimed,  but  her  eyes  failed  to  meet  Vir- 
ginia's, and  the  latter  thought  in  sudden  won- 
der, "  She  actually  seems  embarrassed !  " 

"  Virginia,  Madame,  my  aunt,  thinks  that  I 
should  adopt  my  father's  name  of  de  Marne, 
but  I  have  decided  to  keep  Le  Due.  It  would 
confuse  matters  at  this  late  day  to  change.  My 
father  married  under  his  second  name,  and  I 
think  it  best  to  retain  it." 

"  I  wondered  what  you  would  do  about  it," 
Virginia  said;  "  I  believe  I  agree  with  you.  It 
would  rather  complicate  matters,  and  would 
need  so  much  explanation.  Marcelle,  do  you 
realize  that  we  are  going  to  really  begin  our 
professional  life  so  soon?" 

"  After  all  our  dreams  we  are  at  last  to  make 
them  realities!  We  must  succeed;  do  not  let 
us  think  for  a  moment  that  failure  is  possi- 
ble!" 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A  FEW  HAPPENINGS  IN  THE  MOTHER  COUNTRY 

VIRGINIA  rubbed  her  eyes  and  looked 
about  the  strange  room  in  wonder; 
then  she  remembered.  She  was  ac- 
tually in  London.  Mr.  Van  Anden  had  been 
fortunate  enough  to  secure  their  lodging  and 
board  with  a  widowed  friend  of  his  sister's 
on  Ryder  Street,  off  St.  James.  It  all  seemed 
unreal  to  the  girl.  After  so  many  years  of 
longing  and  work  she  was  at  last  realizing  her 
dreams.  She  could  not  believe  that  she  had 
really  appeared  in  concert  at  Cardiff.  It  was 
with  a  Welch  company,  but  somehow  Mr.  Van 
Anden  had  secured  Marcelle  and  her  the 
chance  to  appear  this  once  with  them.  It  had 
been  a  glorious  experience.  The  Welch  mu- 
sicians, a  little  cool  and  critical  at  first,  were, 
many  of  them,  most  cordial  and  enthusiastic 

143 


144  The  Violin  Lady 

later.  The  papers  next  morning  were  full  of 
praise  and  appreciation.  The  only  drawback 
had  been  Miss  Van  Anden.  Virginia  thought 
at  first  that  she  would  always  associate  Cardiff 
with  her  first  meeting  with  a  severe,  unattrac- 
tive-looking woman  of  perhaps  thirty-five  with 
the  coldest,  most  disagreeable  manner  she 
could  imagine.  She  had  tried  to  thaw  her 
out;  but  she  refused  to  melt.  The  girls 
dreaded  the  rehearsal.  She  accompanied  them 
as  they  feared :  execution  faultless,  but  no  sym- 
pathy, nothing  en  rapport.  They  were  silent 
until  they  were  alone. 

"  Mark  my  words,  Virginia  Hammond, 
we're  going  to  have  trouble  with  that  woman !  " 
Marcelle  declared. 

"  She  isn't  promising,"  Virginia  assented, 
"  but  we  are  in  for  it  now  and  must  do  our 
level  best.  I  am  not  going  to  fail  on  her 
account,  and  Mr.  Van  Anden  seems  all 
right." 

"  Yes,  he  seems  straight,"  Marcelle  said, 
with  emphasis  on  the  verb,  "  but  I  don't  trust 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country     145 

men  very  readily;  I  have  seen  too  much  of 
them." 

"  Of  the  ignoble  type,"  corrected  Virginia. 

"Yes,"  agreed  the  other;  "but  it  will  take 
many  pleasanter  experiences  to  erase  the  im- 
pression. It  has  sunk  too  deeply." 

"  Now  I  have  known  the  other  kind  chiefly ; 
so  there  is  a  better  type.  I  can't  bear  to  have 
you  think  that  way,  Marcelle,  though  I  know 
you  have  had  reason.  I  am  bound  to  think 
that  both  Mr.  Van  Anden  and  his  sister  are 
fair  and  straight  and  agreeable.  As  a  child 
I  used  to  love  to  pretend,  and  I  am  going  to  now 
with  all  my  might." 

"  You  may  pretend,  but  facts  are  stubborn 
things,  and  Drusilla  Van  Anden  is  a  fact.  She 
is  going  to  prove  a  thorn  in  this  proposition 
that  will  pierce  through  whatever  armor  we 
may  use." 

Virginia  was  so  absorbed  in  her  thoughts  as 
she  lay  there  that  she  started  at  the  light  rap 
on  her  door  and  Marcelle  came  in.  Virginia 
had  never  seen  her  so  excited.  Her  usually 


146  The  Violin  Lady 

pale  cheeks  were  pink,  her  dark  eyes  shone,  her 
pretty  rose-colored  kimono  had  been  hastily 
thrown  about  her. 

"  I  could  not  wait  another  minute,"  she  an- 
nounced. "  Oh,  Virginia,  I've  been  reading 
the  morning  papers  Mr.  Van  Anden  sent,  and 
they're  just  dandy.  The  Times  praises  you 
the  most,  but  the  Daily  Mail  says  more  about 
me.  The  Standard  gives  us  each  a  big  puff." 

Virginia  sprang  out  of  bed. 

"  Oh,  give  them  to  me ;  I  can't  believe  that 
London  approves  of  us  until  I  see  it  in  black 
and  white ! " 

She  seized  upon  the  Times  and  read  aloud : 
"  The  new  American  artists  who  appeared  at 
the  St.  James  last  night  were  a  surprise  to 
many  of  the  large  audience.  It  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  for  two  decades  at  least  there 
has  not  been  such  a  violinist  in  London  as  Miss 
Hammond.  Her  technique  is  marvelous,  but 
it  is  her  temperament,  her  exquisite  under- 
standing, which  gives  to  her  rendition  a  mean- 
ing all  her  own ;  in  fact,  her  varied  repertoire, 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country    147 

her  masterly  touch,  her  rare  communion  with 
her  instrument  as  if  they  were  one,  make  her 
not  the  talented,  pleasing  performer  we  ex- 
pected to  find,  but  a  genius.  Usually  Miss 
Hammond's  beauty  of  face  and  form  would 
alone  give  her  prominence,  but  when  to  this  is 
added  her  great  musical  gift,  we  exclaim  that 
the  gods  have  been  kind  to  mortals.  '  The 
Coming  of  the  King,'  her  own  creation,  shows 
rare  promise,  and  we  understand  that  another 
composition  is  almost  completed  which  sur- 
passes this  in  breadth  of  vision  and  charm  of 
melody.  Miss  Le  Due's  voice  is  also  far  above 
the  average.  Her  high  notes  are  singularly 
clear  and  sweet,  her  execution  showing  the 
careful  training  of  Herr  Schmidt  of  Berlin,  her 
latest  instructor.  Her  lack  —  if  one  may  crit- 
icise so  beautiful  a  soprano  —  is  too  much  re- 
straint, lack  of  feeling.  While  an  American, 
she  is  of  noble  French  descent  on  her  father's 
side,  and  shows  it  in  her  refined,  high-bred  ap- 
pearance. The  piano  accompanist,  Miss  Van 
Anclen,  while/  technically  correct,  leaves  much 


148  The  Violin  Lady 

to  be  desired  in  her  lack  of  sympathy,  her 
wooden  interpretation,  her  mechanical  touch." 

"  I  wish  they  hadn't  said  that ! "  Virginia 
exclaimed.  "Think  how  it  will  make  her 
feel!" 

"  But  do  wait  while  I  tell  you  this  before  I 
read  you  the  Daily  Mail  and  the  others.  Lady 
Farringdon  has  written  me  the  loveliest  note, 
inviting  us  both  to  spend  the  week-end  with 
her  at  her  home,  number  forty  Belgrave 
Square.  She  is  a  friend  of  the  Due's  and 
Madame  de  Thevenau." 

"  Marcelle,  pinch  me ;  do  you  think  we  dare 
go?  Shall  we  disgrace  our  name  and  coun- 
try? Shall  we  use  our  knives  and  spoons  for 
forks  ?  It  may  be  a  far  worse  ordeal  than  last 
night." 

"  This  is  Friday  and  we  leave  Monday.  I 
believe  Mr.  Van  Anden  will  allow  us  to  go,  as  it 
will  save  his  pocket,  Virginia;  meals,  bed  and 
board  minus  —  think  of  his  surprise  and  joy! 
They  are  to  send  or  come  for  us  in  an  automo- 
bile at  two,  so  we  haven't  much  time.  I  shall 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country    149 

read  you  the  Daily  Mail  while  you  hurry  your 
elaborate  toilet.  Oh,  what  a  bonanza  that  we 
have  good  clothes !  One  ought  to  rise  superior 
and  live  above  such  mundane  trifles,  but  it  takes 
genius,  so  I  am  exempt,  not  you !  Hear !  '  The 
musical  entertainment  at  St.  James'  hall  proved 
a  rare  treat  to  the  large  audience  there  assem- 
bled. Miss  Hammond  has  the  reputation  of 
being  one  of  Camondreau's  favorite  pupils. 
He  predicts  for  her  a  great  future,  and  surely 
last  night's  performance  gave  promise  of  it. 
She  handles  the  bow  with  the  skill  and  ease  of 
a  maestro.  Her  "  Concerstuck,"  of  Saint- 
Saens,  Sindays'  "(a)  Cantus  doloris,  op.  78," 
and  Wieniawski's  "  Scherzo  —  Tarantelle," 
were  perhaps  the  most  striking.  But  Miss  Le 
Due's  voice  was  equally  wonderful.  Her  high 
soprano,  while  sweet,  was  unusually  strong. 
In  Verdi's  beautiful  aria,  "  Ah  fors  e  lui ! " 
her  fine  training  under  Herr  Schmidt  of  Ber- 
lin, came  to  the  fore,  while  Mrs.  Beach's  "  The 
Year's  At  The  Spring,"  was  exquisitely  tender, 
simpatica.  The  artists'  youth  made  the  sur- 


150  The  Violin  Lady 

prise  of  their  unique  gifts  complete.  Name 
and  fame  are  only  a  question  of  time,  during 
which  they  may  be  heard  by  the  world.  Amer- 
ica should  be  proud  of  such  exceptional  talent 
and  beauty/ 

"  The  Daily  News  and  Telegraph  are  some- 
what similar  to  the  other  two.  The  Standard 
is  more  moderate,"  Marcelle  said  hurriedly. 
"  I  must  dress  and  see  Mr.  Van  Anden." 

They  had  a  simple  lunch,  received  the  ready 
permission  of  their  manager,  and  were  barely 
in  time  to  meet  Lady  Farringdon  in  the  sitting- 
room.  She  proved  to  be  a  sweet-faced, 
motherly,  plump  woman,  not  at  all  overwhelm- 
ing or  awe  inspiring.  The  tall,  solemn-faced 
man  by  her  side  was  far  more  so. 

"  My  son,  Lord  Farringdon,"  his  mother  an- 
nounced. 

"  We  thought,"  the  latter  said  in  his  slow 
drawl,  "  that  as  you  have  so  little  time  you 
might  prefer  to  see  some  of  the  sights  this 
afternoon." 

The  girls  were  delighted.     All  was  new  and 


SUDDENLY    SHE    WAS   AWARE   OF    SOME   ONE    NEAR    HER 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country    151 

interesting  to  them.  Saturday  afternoon  they 
drove  out  to  Windsor,  and  Virginia  wished  to 
see  the  desire  of  her  childish  days,  the  Crystal 
Palace.  They  drove  through  the  thorough- 
fares heretofore  merely  names  associated  with 
the  past,  Piccadilly,  Regent's  Park,  Pall  Mall, 
Holborn,  Fleet  Street,  then  home  for  dinner. 
Sunday  they  went  to  morning  service  at  West- 
minster and  to  St.  Paul's  in  the  evening.  The 
music  at  both  was  good,  but  at  the  former  they 
were  too  far  back  in  the  vast  space  to  hear  the 
sermon. 

Lord  Farringdon  was,  if  rather  solemn,  very 
attentive.  Saturday  morning  Virginia  took 
her  letters  to  read  to  a  small  but  charming  room 
opening  off  the  large  library.  After  reading 
them  she  fell  to  thinking  of  home,  of  her  pres- 
ent success  and  of  how  delighted  Ma  and  Eliz- 
abeth would  be  over  it  all.  Suddenly  she  was 
aware  of  some  one  near  her.  It  was  a  little 
old  man  carefully  groomed,  with  white  hair 
and  erect  of  bearing.  Virginia  was  struck 
with  a  peculiarity  about  his  eyes. 


152  The  Violin  Lady 

"  Is  any  one  in  this  room  ?  "  he  asked  in  a 
low,  pleasant  voice. 

"  Yes,  it  is  Virginia  Hammond,  the  Amer- 
ican guest.  May  I  ask  your  name  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  brother  of  Lady  Farringdon's, — - 
the  Honorable  Leigh  Berkeley.  I  am  blind." 
His  voice  sank  lower  and  he  said  eagerly :  "  I 
have  heard  of  your  wonderful  playing;  Flem- 
ing read  it  to  me  in  the  papers.  I  used  to  be 
crazy  over  the  violin:  I  love  music.  How  I 
wish  I  might  have  heard  you !  " 

"  You  must  hear  me  this  evening.  My 
friend,  Miss  Le  Due,  and  I  are  to  give  an  in- 
formal recital  in  the  drawing-room  to  your 
sister,  Lord  Farringdon  and  a  few  friends." 

"  I  should  love  to  hear  you,"  the  other  said 
wistfully,  "  but  I  never  go  into  society  any 
more.  No  one  wants  an  old  man  about  who 
is  totally  blind." 

"  I  do,"  Virginia  said  promptly,  "  and  I'm 
sure  your  sister  does.  You  must  come.  I 
shall  refuse  to  play  if  you  stay  away." 

"  No,  no,  you  are  most  kind,  but  it  would 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country    153 

never  do,  never.  Lord  Farringdon  would  not 
like  it  at  all.  I  must  go  back.  I  must  have 
mistaken  the  direction  as  Fleming  had  left  me. 
I  have  not  yet  learned  to  be  very  skillful." 

"  Can  you  not  stay  ?  I  should  like  to  talk 
with  you,"  Virginia  assured  him. 

"  And  tell  me  of  your  country  ?  I  know  so 
little  of  it,  it  would  be  a  great  pleasure.  But 
I  must  not  intrude.  I  bid  you  good-morning; 
it  has  brightened  the  day  — " 

"  I  was  looking  for  you,  Miss  " —  Lord  Far- 
ringdon stood  in  the  doorway  with  a  look  of 
surprise  on  his  rather  heavy  features.  As  Vir- 
ginia glanced  at  him  she  saw  the  expression 
change  to  one  of  intense  annoyance. 

The  little  man,  eager,  apologetic,  hastened  to 
say:  "  I  mistook  the  way;  I  was  just  going, 
Reginald." 

"  I  shall  ring  for  Fleming;  he  must  attend 
to  his  duties  better  or  I  shall  discharge  him." 
His  nephew's  voice  held  a  note  new  to  Vir- 
ginia. She  resented  both  voice  and  manner. 

"  I  have  been  urging  your  uncle  to  stay,"  she 


154  The  Violin  Lady 

interposed.  "  I  find  that  he  is  very  fond  of 
music.  He  must  hear  our  recital  this  evening." 

Lord  Farringdon  had  crossed  the  room  to 
the  bell.  He  turned  to  say  rather  sharply: 
"  My  uncle  is  old  and  feeble ;  he  keeps  very 
early  hours.  He  has  long  ago  given  up  all 
social  pleasures." 

Virginia's  eyes,  keen,  observant,  saw  the 
change  in  the  Honorable  Leigh  Berkeley's  face 
from  a  wistful  eagerness  to  an  expression  of 
hopelessness. 

"  I  am  sure  that  it  would  do  him  no  harm,  as 
the  recital  begins  directly  after  dinner.  Don't 
you  think  that  he  might  come  as  my  guest?  " 

"  Of  course,  if  you  put  it  in  that  way,  he 
must  be  present."  Lord  Farringdon's  words 
were  suave  but  his  looks  belied  them.  "  Flem- 
ing," he  said,  as  an  irreproachable  valet  ap- 
peared, "  I  fear  you  are  growing  careless. 
Your  charge  is  here  where  he  is  never  allowed. 
If  you  cannot  attend  to  your  duties  better  you 
will  be  replaced  by  some  one  who  can." 

The  man  bowed  and  led  the  blind  man  away. 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country    155 

Virginia  did  not  like  the  expression  of  his  eyes. 
She  wondered  if  he  were  kind  to  the  gentle  old 
man. 

Lord  Farringdon  changed  the  subject  at 
once.  He  exerted  himself  to  be  pleasant.  He 
led  the  way  to  the  library  to  show  her  a  land- 
scape by  Collins.  Just  as  they  reached  it,  a 
young  fellow  in  uniform  fairly  burst  into  the 
room. 

"  Hello,  Reggie,  I'm  home  again;  where's  the 
mater?  I  can't  find  her.  It  does  seem  good 
to  be  here,  don't  you  know  " —  he  stopped 
abruptly  at  sight  of  Virginia.  "  I  beg  your 
pardon,  I  thought  my  brother  was  alone,"  he 
apologized. 

Virginia  liked  the  fair,  frank,  boyish  face. 

"  How  abrupt  you  are,  Bertie.  My  brother, 
Miss  Hammond,  Captain  Albert  of  the  Navy. 
How  are  you,  old  chap  ?  We  didn't  expect  you 
so  soon."  They  shook  hands. 

"  We  beat  the  record  this  time ;  voyage  fine ; 
must  find  mother  " ;  and,  with  a  military  salute 
to  Virginia,  he  was  off. 


156  The  Violin  Lady 

"  I  didn't  know  your  brother  was  itl  the 
Navy,"  Virginia  said, 

"  Oh,  yes;  that,  the  Army  and  the  church  are 
about  all  there  are  for  younger  sons,"  observed 
the  elder  indifferently.  "  He  is  the  youngest. 
I  have  two  married  sisters." 

"  Don't  younger  sons  ever  do  mechanical 
things,  or  go  into  business  or  law  or  medicine  ?  " 
Virginia  asked,  astonished. 

"  Now  and  then  in  the  professions,  but  never 
in  trade  unless  they're  willing  to  lose  caste. 
I  understand  that  in  your  country  it  is  all  dif- 
ferent. I  don't  see  how  you  get  along  without 
titles  or  hereditary  estates  or  family." 

Virginia  smiled,  thinking  of  Aunt  Henrietta. 
"  Oh,  we  believe  in  family,  though  not  to  your 
extent.  You  must  remember  that  you  English 
once  settled  in  America." 

"  Yes,  that  must  be  a  great  comfort  to  you," 
said  Lord  Farringdon  solemnly.  "  It  is  a  pity 
we  could  not  have  stayed  longer." 

"  Everything  from  one's  point  of  view ;  now 
we  felt  that  we  could  do  better  alone,  and  we've 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country    157 

managed  to  toddle  along  very  well  consider- 
ing." Virginia  smiled  again,  but  the  other 
looked  at  her  with  compassion. 

"  I  suppose  from  your  looks,  my  lord,  that 
you're  thinking,  '  Where  ignorance  is  bliss, 
etc.' " 

"  How  you  do  read  one's  thoughts,  Miss 
Hammond.  I  was  telling  Mother  last  night 
that  you  and  Miss  Le  Due  were  very  bright  and 
quick.  I  don't  see  how  you  do  it." 

"  It  is  pretty  hard  work,  but  we  Americans 
are  seldom  lazy  so  we  peg  along  till  we  get 
there." 

"  I  suppose  there's  a  joke  somewheres,  but 
I  don't  find  it  yet,  though  we're  really  not  so 
bad  as  your  comic  papers  and  cartoons  paint 
us.  We  may  be  rather  too  earnest,  but  that  is 
much  better  than  to  be  light  and  volatile." 

The  afternoon  was  decidedly  more  lively  with 
the  addition  of  the  member  of  the  Navy  to  their 
party  of  sightseers.  Lady  Farringdon's  usu- 
ally calm,  sweet  face  was  more  animated,  and 
she  seemed  quite  wakened  up.  Captain  Bertie 


158  The  Violin  Lady 

told  all  kinds  of  interesting  incidents  of  his 
naval  life  in  a  boyish,  offhand  way.  His  hap- 
piness over  his  home-coming  bubbled  over. 
The  girls  exclaimed  to  each  other  when  they 
were  alone  over  the  striking  difference  between 
the  brothers. 

After  dinner  Lady  Farringdon's  few  invited 
guests  came.  Three  sisters,  the  Honorable  the 
Misses  Nottingham,  two  young  friends  in  the 
Navy  of  Captain  Bertie's,  and  the  former's 
aunt,  Lady  Radcliffe,  and  two  elderly  men,  who, 
Lord  Farringdon  told  Virginia,  had  been  fine 
musicians  in  their  younger  days;  one,  Mr. 
Weston,  an  organist,  and  the  other,  Mr.  Llewel- 
lyn, a  flute  player  above  the  common. 

"  And  why  should  they  give  it  all  up  now  ?  " 
questioned  Virginia. 

"  They  are  pretty  well  along;  the  old  are  out 
of  the  race,"  the  young  lord  said  pompously. 

"  So  you  seem  to  think,  but  I  don't,"  the  girl 
dissented  in  her  decisive  voice.  "  My  friend 
at  home,  Mrs.  Jordan,  has  two  friends  both 
eighty  and  over,  and  they  are  charming.  One 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country     159 

keeps  up  a  large  correspondence  and  reads 
everything,  the  other  is  a  fine  talker  and  goes 
out  a  great  deal.  And  I  know  a  man  you 
would  call  old  who  fiddles  well,  and  his  wife 
his  age  can  dance  on  occasion."  Virginia 
thought  how  shocked  her  companion  would  be 
over  the  levity  of  her  humble  Irish  friends,  the 
Flahertys,  and  wanted  to  laugh. 

But  it  was  time  for  her  to  play  instead.  All 
at  once,  on  looking  over  the  guests,  she  missed 
the  Honorable  Leigh  Berkeley. 

"  Where  is  your  uncle  ?  "  she  demanded. 

"  I  decided  that  he  had  better  not  come," 
Lord  Farringdon  informed  her  curtly. 

"  Then  you  consider  promises  only  to  be 
broken,"  Virginia  observed  icily. 

"  Well,  really,  Miss  Hammond,  it  isn't  best, 
and  it  doesn't  do  to  establish  a  precedent,  you 
know.  I  am  head  of  this  house,  and  I  must 
lay  down  its  rules  or  else  all  would  be  con- 
fusion." 

"  I'm  sorry  you  have  so  decided,"  Virginia 
said  coolly,  "  for  I  dislike  dreadfully  disap- 


160  The  Violin  Lady 

pointing  your  mother  and  her  guests ;  but  I  told 
your  uncle  that  if  he  wasn't  here  I  would  not 
play,  and  I  am  in  the  habit  of  keeping  my  word ; 
so  you  must  explain  my  inability  to  give  my 
part  of  the  entertainment." 

"  Do  you  really  mean  what  you  say  ?  "  de- 
manded her  host,  looking  at  the  beautiful  girl 
in  her  becoming  old  rose  gown,  in  something 
like  fear.  "  You  surely  won't  be  so  unreason- 
able." 

"  It  seems  to  me  the  unreasonableness  is  on 
the  other  side,"  Virginia  told  him,  looking  at 
him  calmly.  "  To  me  it  seems  worse  than  un- 
reasonable to  prevent  a  man  like  your  uncle 
from  having  what  to  him  is  a  rare  pleasure, 
when  his  life  is  already  so  pitifully  limited, 
with  everything  which  to  him  is  desirable  de- 
nied him."  The  girl's  voice  lost  its  calm  to- 
wards the  end  and  trembled  with  indignation. 

"  I  see  that  he  has  every  care,"  Lord  Far- 
ringdon  informed  her  with  an  air  of  injured 
virtue;  "  but  I  see  my  mother  coming  to  remind 
us  that  it  is  past  the  hour.  May  I  ask  you  not 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country    161 

to  announce  your  decision  for  a  few  moments, 
Miss  Hammond?  I  shall  see  what  cat!  be 
done." 

Virginia  had  not  imagined  that  her  noble 
host  could  or  would  move  his  lordly  legs  in  such 
undue  haste  as  he  fairly  ran  from  the  room. 

"  I  say,  it's  awfully  good  of  you  to  do  this 
for  the  mater  —  I  was  just  telling  Miss  Le  Due 
— ;and  we  do  appreciate  it.  It  will  be  some- 
thing to  hand  down  to  future  generations,  don't 
you  know  ?  "  The  Captain  was  looking  at  Vir- 
ginia with  such  honest  open  admiration  in  his 
eyes  that  hers  fell  before  it  in  embarrassment. 
Then  something  in  his  glance  of  amazed  in- 
credulity made  her  turn.  Lord  Farringdon 
was  coming  into  the  room  leading  with  careful 
attention  the  Honorable  Leigh  Berkeley. 

"  Suffering  Moses !  how  did  that  come 
about  ?  "  exclaimed  the  Captaiti  in  amazement. 
"  Reggie  is  to  see  to  you,  Miss  Hammond,  and 
I  believe  if  you'll  excuse  me,  I'll  sit  by  my 
uncle.  He's  a  dear  old  fellow,  and  it's  such 
hard  lines  to  be  blind,  don't  you  know?  I 


162  The  Violin  Lady 

thought  that  he  couldn't  come  to-night  and  I'm 
so  glad  that  he  did,  for  it  will  be  a  big  red  letter 
night  in  his  life,  you  can't  think." 

Dignified,  grave,  but  with  a  reproachful 
glance  at  Virginia,  Lord  Farringdon  made  his 
little  speech,  ponderous,  slow  and,  as  Marcelle 
wickedly  whispered  to  her  friend,  "  of  a  thick- 
ness that  she  feared  he  would  not  wade  through 
before  dawn."  But  it  was  over,  and  Virginia 
played  all  Marcelle's  accompaniments,  as  there 
was  no  available  pianist.  Marcelle  accom- 
panied the  other  on  the  piano  for  two  of  her 
simpler  numbers.  Virginia  played  several 
beautiful  airs  of  a  by-gone  time  for  the  ears 
of  her  blind  listener  alone.  Marcelle  ended 
with  a  group  of  three  negro  dialect  songs,  the 
words  by  the  American  writer,  Anne  Virginia 
Culbertson,  which  she  had  set  to  lilting  melo- 
dies: "Miss  Sally-Gal,"  "  Answerin'  the 
Mocking  Bird"  and  "In  Sorghum  Time." 
These  caught  the  fancy  of  the  audience,  con- 
ventional though  it  was,  and  Captain  Bertie 
applauded  energetically.  As  soon  as  she  was 


Happenings  in  the  Mother  Country    163 

free  Virginia  went  over  to  the  blind  listener. 
"  My  dear,"  he  said  in  his  high-bred,  gentle 
voice;  "  you  have  genius,  and  will,  please  God, 
give  joy  and  comfort  to  many  sad  hearts  in 
your  life;  but  you  have  a  greater  thing,  a  big 
warm  heart.  I  shall  never  forget  you  nor  this 
evening  in  the  few  years  that  are  left  to 
me." 

"  It  is  time  to  go,  sir."  Fleming's  voice,  ob- 
sequious, yet  to  Virginia's  ears  covertly  imper- 
tinent, broke  in  on  the  old  gentleman's  happy 
hour.  She  tried  to  speak  in  vain.  The  pathos 
of  his  life  pierced  her  heart.  Her  voice  was 
full  of  unshed  tears.  Then  the  Captain's  voice : 
"  Not  yet,  Fleming,"  and  he  was  introducing 
his  uncle  to  the  guests.  Later  came  another 
voice,  authoritative,  tacitly  reproving,  "  Flem- 
ing, my  uncle  is  tired ;  you  know  how  feeble  he 
is  —  take  him  at  once  to  his  room." 

Marcelle's  eyes  saw  the  sudden  flush  come 
to  the  sensitive  face.  She  saw  him  turn  to  the 
organist  with  whom  he  was  having  an  animated 
talk,  and  heard  him  say  with  dignity :  "  I  must 


The  Fiolin  Lady 

deny  myself  further  enjoyment,  Mr.  Weston, 
and  go  to  my  room.  Lord  Farringdon  is  solic- 
itous for  my  health."  Was  he  gently  iron- 
ical? 


CHAPTER  IX 

MARRIAGE  IN  ITS  RELATION  TO  DIFFERENT 
COUNTRIES 

SUNDAY  morning  Virginia  was  made  to 
feel  that  she  was  not  yet  forgiven.  Her 
host  was  courteous  but  held  aloof,  and 
devoted  himself  to  Marcelle.  Virginia  was  de- 
lighted, as  it  gave  her  a  chance  to  know  his 
brother  better.  She  liked  him  more  and  more. 
Now  and  then  he  reminded  her  of  Theodore. 

"  It  seems  a  shame  for  you  to  have  seen  so 
little  of  London,"  he  observed,  as  they  came 
back  from  a  long  drive.  "  Aren't  you  coming 
again  on  your  way  back  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Miss  Le  Due  and  I  have  planned  to 
spend  a  week  here  when  our  itinerary  is  over," 
Virginia  told  him. 

"  Why  can't  you  spend  the  time  with  us?  " 
Lady  Farringdon  asked. 

165 


166  The  Violin  Lady 

The  girls  responded  gratefully,  but  Virginia 
made  up  her  mind  that  they  would  be  much 
more  independent  to  be  in  lodgings  and  free  to 
go  and  come  as  they  chose.  She  found  Lord 
Farringdon's  eyes  upon  her  as  if  reading  her 
thoughts. 

For  the  rest  of  the  visit  he  was  as  attentive 
as  before. 

Monday  they  joined  their  manager  and  his 
sister  at  the  station  en  route  for  Edinburgh. 
At  once  Miss  Van  Anden  began :  "  I  told  my 
brother  that  I  supposed  after  visiting  such 
swell  people  you  would  feel  it  very  much  to 
come  down  to  common  mortals." 

"  Well,  we'll  try  to  bear  up  under  it,"  Vir- 
ginia responded  laughingly.  "  It  was  a  pleas- 
ant experience;  but,  after  all,  we  came  on  the 
trip  to  work,  not  play." 

"  Work  and  play,"  corrected  the  other;  "  for 
you  and  I  do  that,  if  my  part  is  so  badly  done." 
The  girls  pretended  not  to  hear,  but  she  per- 
sisted :  "  I  suppose  you  and  Miss  Le  Due  feel 
very  superior  to  me  because  you  are  praised  so 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     167 

highly  in  the  papers  and  I  am  criticised  so  un- 
fairly. It  has  been  so  all  my  life,  but  my  turn 
will  come.  It  won't  be  long,  either.  My 
brother  doesn't  call  you  a  genius,  Miss  Ham- 
mond, if  Camondreau  and  the  Times  do,  and 
he  is  a  fine  musical  critic.  He  wrote  for  sev- 
eral papers  for  years,  and  has  heard  good  music 
all  his  life." 

Marcelle  walked  off  in  disdain,  but  Virginia 
said,  in  her  pleasantest  voice :  "  What  the 
press  says  of  us,  Miss  Van  Anden,  we  cannot 
help  or  hinder.  I  agree  with  your  brother  that 
I  am  not  a  genius.  Do  please  try  and  like  us, 
for  it's  going  to  be  intensely  unpleasant  if  we 
are  antagonistic.  The  trip  will  not  last  long, 
and  then  we  shall  part." 

The  other  did  not  reply,  and  the  train  com- 
ing in,  the  little  party  hurried  off. 

All  during  the  journey  Miss  Van  Anden  was 
sullen  and  unresponsive.  Her  brother  seemed 
ill  at  ease.  He  talked  long  and  earnestly  to 
her. 

The  recital  was  to  take  place  at  Operetta 


168  The  Violin  Lady 

House,  Chambers  Street,  but  it  was  such  a  suc- 
cess that  Mr.  Van  Anden  decided  to  try  a 
second,  which  was  equally  well  attended. 

It  was  at  Glasgow  that  Virginia  received  a 
letter  that  was,  to  say  the  least,  surprising.  It 
was  the  morning  after  the  recital  that  she  had 
an  interview  with  a  woman  by  the  name  of 
Cairngorm.  She  informed  Virginia  at  the  out- 
set that  her  husband  was  a  very  rich  man  who 
had  made  a  mint  of  money  by  quarrying 
stone. 

"  We  wasn't  always  rich,  and  I've  never  en- 
tertained at  all.  I'm  English  and  my  hus- 
band's Scotch;  but  I  want  to  give  something 
seclusive  and  extraordinary.  So  I'm  going  to 
have  fifty  guests  and  have  you  play  —  I  don't 
care  much  for  the  other  girl  —  and  I'm  goin' 
to  pay  you  a  big  sum  for  it,  and  I'm  goin'  to 
have  it  in  the  papers  just  what  I  pay.  I'll  give 
you  a  hundred  pounds  for  the  evening." 

"  I  couldn't  take  so  much,"  protested  Vir- 
ginia, but  the  other  silenced  her.  "  I  never  did 
tell  lies,  an'  I  ain't  goin'  to  begin  now,  an'  I've 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     169 

told  everybody.  Nobody  can  laugh  at  me  this 
time.  My  man's  generous,  an'  he  says,  '  Go 
ahead/  sez  he,  '  if  it  costs  five  hundred  pounds, 
I'll  back  you/  " 

"  I  shall  have  to  bring  my  accompanist,"  Vir- 
ginia said,  after  a  little  thought.  "  Let  me  give 
some  of  the  money  to  her." 

"  No,  I'll  give  her  twenty-five.  I  don't  think 
much  of  her  poundin';  but  if  I  must,  I 
must." 

So  they  went,  Miss  Van  Anden  only  partly 
mollified.  It  was  a  very  mixed  and  funny 
affair,  but  Virginia  enjoyed  it  as  she  did  almost 
all  of  her  experiences,  and  was  glad  of  the  extra 
large  fee.  Marcelle  pretended  to  feel  bowed 
down  over  the  slight  the  stone  quarry  man's 
wife  had  given  her.  She  wore  a  black  gown 
to  supper,  and  said  she  would  never  hold  up 
her  head  again. 

Miss  Van  Anden  looked  at  her  in  dismay. 
She  did  not  understand  how  any  one  could  joke 
over  such  a  slight  and  said  so. 

"  My  turn  will  come,"  Marcelle  declared,  and 


170  The  Violin  Lady 

then  grew  quite  red  in  the  face,  remembering 
too  late  that  she  was  unconsciously  quoting 
Miss  Van  Anden. 

The  next  day  Virginia  received  the  letter. 
It  bore  the  coat  of  arms  of  the  Farringdons,  a 
leopard  couchant  with  a  man  in  armor  stand- 
ing over  it  with  drawn  sword  and  the  legend 
"  I  conquer  all  obstacles."  The  chirography 
was  small  and  carefully  written,  and  was  signed 
Reginald  Alpheus  Howard  Lord  Farringdon. 

"  I  wonder  what  he  wants  of  me,"  thought 
the  violinist.  "  I  wish  he  might  engage  us  to 
give  a  series  of  recitals,  I'm  getting  so  merce- 
nary." 

The  letter  ran  thus : 

"  My  dear  Miss  Hammond : 

"  You  will  doubtless  be  surprised  to  receive 
any  communication  from  me,  and  still  further 
after  reading  its  contents.  I  flatter  myself 
that  I  kept  my  feelings  under  such  perfect  con- 
trol when  you  were  with  us  that  you  did  not 
suspect  that  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  was 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     171 

in  love.  It  was  so  without  precedent  in  my 
experience  that  I  did  not  understand  or  approve 
of  a  state  of  mind  which  did  not  appeal  to  my 
reason  or  judgment.  As  you  I  know  realize, 
a  man  in  my  position  must  carefully  weigh 
matrimony  and  look  at  it  from  all  points  of 
view.  It  is  no  light  matter  for  one  of  my  rank 
to  choose  his  mate,  a  mother  for  future  genera- 
tions of  Farringdons.  My  mother  and  I  had 
long  ago  talked  over  the  matter  and  always 
with  a  woman  of  my  own  land  in  view.  You 
can  then  imagine  my  intense  surprise  and  dis- 
may when  almost  at  first  sight  I  had  feelings 
towards  you  which  worried  and  upset  me.  I 
have  lived  a  correct  and  even  existence.  I  had 
carefully  planned  my  future  even  to  selecting 
the  English  girl  I  was  to  unite  with  in  mar- 
riage, a  girl  of  my  own  rank,  with  a  fortune 
which  is  larger  than  mine.  Then,  with  no  pre- 
monition of  coming  events,  I  found  myself  car- 
ried away  by  an  American  of  no  family,  no 
fortune  or  rank,  who  earned  her  living  by  play- 
ing for  money  in  public.  No  wonder  that  I 


172  The  Violin  Lady 

was  afraid  to  give  rein  to  my  feelings.  I  de- 
termined to  let  you  go  and  find  out  if  absence 
would  not  cool  my  ardor  and  restore  my  usual 
intelligent  rationalism.  It  has  been  a  week  to- 
day since  you  left  and  I  am  in  a  fever  of  un- 
rest and  discontent.  I  am  not,  and  fear  that 
I  shall  never  be  content,  unless  you  are  my  wife. 
I  have  not  consulted  my  mother  at  this  mo- 
mentous step.  I've  decided  to  follow  my  own 
impulses,  rash  and  imprudent  though  they  be. 
For  a  while  —  a  few  hours  —  I  must  say  my 
whole  system  received  a  shock  when  you  re- 
sented my  authority  as  to  my  uncle's  actions, 
but  I  am  sure  that  when  once  we  are  married, 
my  dear  Virginia,  you  will  recognize  that  the 
husband  is  the  head  of  the  house,  and  the  wife 
is  the  hand  controlled  and  guided  by  said  head. 
I  must  not  forget  to  add  that  as  Lady  Farring- 
don  you  will,  of  course,  renounce  all  thought 
of  your  professional  career,  and  indeed  I  should 
prefer  that  you  never  used  your  musical  gift 
save  for  our  immediate  family  and  relatives. 
I  hope  that  in  thinking  over  this  offer  of  my 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     173 

hand  and  heart  you  will  not  feel  either  an  over- 
whelming gratitude  or  a  too  great  modesty  as 
to  your  own  limitations.  Other  men  have 
raised  the  women  they  love  to  a  high  position ; 
why  not  your  lover, 

"  REGINALD  ALPHEUS  HOWARD 

"  LORD  FARRINGDON." 

Virginia  looked  up  from  the  perusal  of  this 
effusion  with  the  light  of  battle  in  her  eye. 
Her  brother  Bob,  whom  she  had  rigorously 
coached  in  correct  English  minus  slang,  would 
have  been  overjoyed  to  have  heard  his  elder 
sister's  remarks. 

"  Well,  this  is  the  limit !  His  colossal  con- 
ceit is  simply  fierce!  Reginald  Alpheus  How- 
ard Lord  Farringdon,  something  is  coming  to 
you  that  will  make  you  sit  up  and  take  notice. 
Imagine  me  sitting  with  folded  hands  in  his 
conventional,  well-ordered,  monotonous  house- 
hold and  waiting  patiently  for  my  lord's  daily 
commands !  I  believe  I  will  marry  him  for  his 
own  punishment,  and  to  give  that  dear  old  uncle 


174  The  Violin  Lady 

of  his  the  time  of  his  life;  but  the  price  is  too 
high." 

The  evening  post  carried  southward  the  fol- 
lowing reply: 

"  My  dear  Lord  Farringdon : 

"  I  cannot  see  how  or  why  you  received  the 
impression  that  I  would  be  eager  to  become 
Lady  Farringdon.  Nothing  was  further  from 
my  thoughts.  In  the  first  place,  I  am  wedded 
to  my  violin  and  my  profession,  for  which  I 
have  longed  and  studied  with  an  ardor  that  you 
in  your  life  of  ease  and  indolence  cannot  even 
faintly  comprehend.  Then  if  I  had  not  that 
reason,  I  have  always  declared  that  I  would  if 
I  ever  married  choose  an  American,  who  as  a 
nation  are  the  only  husbands  worth  while. 
Thirdly,  if  these  reasons  were  null  and  void, 
I  could  not  marry  one  who  goes  against  my 
cherished  ideals  and  conception  of  a  man.  My 
husband,  if  I  ever  have  one,  which  I  doubt, 
must  be  chivalric  towards  the  weak  and  suffer- 
ing, just  as  well  as  loving  towards  his  wife; 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     175 

not  only  high  in  honor  and  integrity  but  con- 
siderate and  generous.  Our  ideas,  our  en- 
vironment, our  upbringing  have  been  far  too 
different  for  us  to  ever  be  congenial  as  friends, 
much  less  in  that  most  intimate  relation  which 
marriage  means.  Just  the  attitude  you  take 
towards  your  uncle  would  alone  prove  to  me 
that  we  never  could  agree  on  subjects  which 
to  me  seem  vital. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  hurt  your  feelings,  Lord 
Farringdon,  but  as  you  have  been  frank  with 
me  I  feel  that  it  is  your  due  that  I  deal  candidly 
with  you.  I  am  sure  that  you  meant  your  offer 
to  be  an  honor,  and  as  such  I  thank  you  even 
while  assuring  you  that  it  would  be  a  rank  im- 
possibility and  bring  only  disaster  to  both  of 
us. 

"  Very  sincerely, 

"  VIRGINIA  HAMMOND." 

Marcelle  came  in  as  she  finished. 
"  Virginia,  I  don't  wish  to  be  unduly  ob- 
servant, but  you  look  slightly  stirred.     Is  the 


176  The  Violin  Lady 

subject  of  a  pleasant  or  unpleasant  nature?  A 
proposal,  a  legacy,  or  has  your  best  man  run 
off  with  another  girl  ?  " 

But  Virginia  did  not  smile. 

"  I  have  had  the  honor  of  refusing  to  be 
Lady  Farringdon,"  she  said  impatiently. 

"  Did  his  lordship  really  get  up  his  nerve  to 
do  and  dare  so  unconventional  a  thing  as  to 
propose  marriage  to  the  humble,  nameless 
violinist?  I  saw  that  he  was  heels  over  head 
in  love  with  you  and  that  the  struggle  was  on, 
but  whether  his  head  and  hereditary  conscience 
or  his  suddenly  rampageous  heart  would  win 
I  could  not  determine." 

"  Did  you  really  think  that  he  was  taken  with 
me?  I  don't  call  it  'in  love/  I  never  read 
such  a  letter.  I  didn't  know  whether  to  laugh 
or  cry.  Such  egotism,  such  self-centered  nar- 
rowness I  never  imagined !  I  should  think  col- 
lege life  would  have  taken  it  out  of  him." 

"  Some  people,  Virginia,  can't  broaden  or  de- 
velop," Marcelle  declared  with  her  air  of  wis- 
dom gained  in  a  school  of  which  Virginia  knew 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     177 

nothing.  "  They  see  every  one  and  everything 
through  a  pair  of  invisible  spectacles  of  the 
'  big  I '  make.  I  knew  a  man  and  his  wife  in 
Berlin  who  had  traveled  around  the  world  and 
seen  all  kinds  of  people,  and  they  were  as  self- 
ish and  petty  and  mean  as  if  they  had  lived 
in  a  rut  all  their  lives:  and  I  knew  a  woman 
who  had  never  been  able  to  leave  Berlin  since 
her  birth,  and  she  read  and  helped  others  and 
knew  more  of  human  nature  than  most  peo- 
pie." 

"  Ma  used  to  say  '  the  Kingdom  of  God  is 
within  us,'  yet  some  folks  go  all  their  lives 
seeking  for  it  in  out  of  the  way  places  or  talk- 
ing as  if  it  meant  a  future  state  —  oh,  how  I 
wish  I  could  see  that  blessed  woman  this  min- 
ute !  "  Virginia  sighed  and  the  tears  came  to 
her  eyes. 

"  Here's  another,"  Marcelle  said.  She  had 
visited  Virginia's  home  once  and  lost  her  heart 
to  the  girl's  motherly  large-hearted  stepmother. 
"  But  really,  Virginia,  I  feel  that  I  ought  to 
counsel  you  not  to  throw  away  what  may  be  the 


178  The  Violin  Lady 

chance  of  a  lifetime,"  she  went  on  gravely, 
"  for  even  geniuses,  my  dear,  are  seldom  rich 
or  allied  to  titles.  Pause  and  reflect.  There 
are  worse  men  than  poor  Reggie.  He  hasn't 
humbleness  of  mind,  but  how  few  of  his  sex 
have;  he  is  rather  conceited,  but  great  minds 
have  been  that;  he  is  a  Caesar  in  the  English- 
man's castle,  his  home,  yet  Napoleon  insisted  on 
ruling  his  domestic  affairs  or  thought  he 
did  — " 

"  Marcelle,  if  you  ever  mention  my  lord 
again,  you'll  get  this."  Virginia  picked  up  a 
light  chair  and  swung  it  in  her  strong  arms  as 
if  about  to  hurl  it  at  the  other's  head.  Mar- 
celle dodged. 

"  Virginia,  you  often  seem  mild,  but  one  must 
live  with  persons  to  really  know  them.  I  pity 
your  husband  if  you  ever  find  him  doing  a  mean 
or  contemptible  thing!  I  would  not  put  it 
past  you  to  commit  a  crime  at  the  proper 
pitch." 

"  Best  not  indulge  in  the  luxury ;  prevention 
better  than  cure,"  Virginia  retorted. 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     179 

"  You  young  women  evidently  think  that  we 
have  time  to  burn.  We  have  work  to  do,  and 
can't  waste  the  hours  talking  on  frivolous  sub- 
jects. Do  you  realize  that  we  are  due  at 
Paisley  this  evening?  "  It  was  the  sarcastic 
voice  of  Miss  Van  Anden  from  the  open  door 
of  the  room.  Her  eyes  snapped,  anger  showed 
in  the  pose  of  her  head,  the  expression  of  her 
mouth,  her  whole  bristling  attitude.  As  she 
turned  away,  Marcelle  said :  "  I  wonder  if 
she  is  ever  happy;  I  declare,  I  begin  to  see  your 
side  of  it  and  feel  sorry  for  her." 

"  Think  of  living  with  such  a  soul  in  you 
and  never  getting  away  from  it !  "  Virginia  ex- 
claimed. "  Reggie  is  rather  nice  beside  her !  " 

"  You're  weakening,  I  see."  Marcelle  sent 
her  parting  shot  as  she  flew  to  get  ready  for 
their  trip. 

Virginia  had  always  associated  Paisley  with 
the  shawls  of  that  name.  Hereafter  it  was  to 
have  a  more  personal  association.  After  the 
recital  there  a  note  was  handed  to  her  addressed 
in  a  sprawling,  uncultivated  hand. 


180  The  Violin  Lady 

"  Miss  Hammond. 
"DEAR  Miss: 

"Will  you  see  me  in  the  parlor  of  your 

hotel  at  ten  to-morrow  morning  on  important 

business?     I  shall  arrange  that  for  the  short 

time  we're  there  we  have  the  strictest  privacy. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  SANDY  McNuLTY." 

"I  declare,  I  am  green  with  jealousy!" 
Marcelle  exclaimed.  "  Perhaps  it's  another  to 
use  your  fiddle  for  a  social  function,  and  that, 
like  Mrs.  Stonequarry,  he  doesn't  care  for  the 
other  girl." 

"  I  think  it  more  likely  that  Virginia  has  been 
flirting  with  some  man  who  is  to  call  her  to 
account  for  it.  I  did  not  at  all  approve  of  her 
going  about  with  young  men  as  she  did  in  Lon- 
don," observed  Miss  Van  Anden  severely. 

As  Virginia  entered  the  room  next  day  a 
tall,  gaunt  figure  rose  from  his  seat.  She  was 
reminded  of  a  whimsical  tale  she  used  to  read 
to  Bob  and  Janet  of  a  boy  who  longed  and 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     181 

prayed  to  grow  big  at  once  so  that  he  might 
do  just  as  he  pleased,  and  after  taking  a  con- 
venient fairy  potion  he  suddenly  shot  up  in  in- 
stantaneous growth  to  the  ceiling. 

"  I'll  not  tak  yer  time,  Miss  Hammond," 
Sandy  McNulty  began  at  once.  "  Ye're  busy 
fiddlin'  an'  I'm  busy  plowin'  an'  workin'  on 
my  fairm.  I  heard  ye  playin'  the  noight  an' 
I  was  fair  astoonded.  I  niver  heard  a  fiddle 
could  talk  as  that  one  did.  Now  I've  always 
been  a  mon  that  mak's  trades  that'll  better  my 
condeetion,  an'  I  thought  it  out  whiles  you 
played  an'  the  other  sang;  here's  a  girl  who 
sings  full  weel,  but  as  a  steady  everyday  thing 
she'd  be  fair  tiresome,  but  here's  the  other  who 
couldn't  play  whiles  she  worked  so  there'd  be 
quiet  in  the  hoose  an'  music  for  luxury.  Her 
looks,  too,  are  pleasin'  above  the  ordinary,  an' 
though  the  gude  book  tells  us  beauty  is  vain, 
it  doesna  deny  it's  a  pleasure  to  the  eye:  an' 
weel,  Miss  Hammond,  whiles  I've  conseedered 
marryin'  as  fallin'  from  the  f ryin'  pan  intil  the 
fire,  I  made  up  my  moind  to  fall,  an'  ask  ye  to 


182  The  Violin  Lady 

marry  me.  I'm  a  fair  mon  an'  I'll  mak'  ye  a 
fair  offer.  I'd  give  ye  three  shillin's  the  week, 
maybe  four,  lucky  years,  for  bawdies  an'  waste, 
an'  that'd  mak'  up  for  the  pennies  ye'd  earn 
by  fiddlin'.  Yer  meals  an'  a  fair  hoose  of  six 
rooms,  a  gown  now  an'  then  when  what  you 
have  fails;  an'  seein'  ye  have  looks  an'  music 
the  laird's  lady  might  hev  ye  to  the  castle 
f orbye  —  I'm  tenant  for  the  Laird  of  Dumf  rie- 
shire.  An'  would  ye  bide  an'  go  with  me  to  the 
meenister  as  soon  as  I  see  to  a  license?  I 
haven't  had  time  to  find  out  aboot  the  law,  but 
I  don't  think  it  would  delay  us.  I  cud  tak' 
ye  oot  in  Jamie  Cairns'  cart  for  a  slim 
sum." 

He  paused  for  the  first  time.  Virginia  said 
gravely  : 

"  Mr.  McNulty,  I  appreciate  the  honor  you 
pay  me,  your  courage  and  generosity,  but  I  have 
considered  matrimony  for  several  years,  and 
while  I  feel  that  it  may  do  for  some  it  is  not 
for  me.  I  am  wedded  to  my  fiddle,  and  while 
you,  for  instance,  may  prove  a  good  investment, 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     183 

the  returns  are  too  far  in  the  future.  My 
violin,  on  the  other  hand,  is  what  we  Amer- 
icans call  a  sure  thing.  It  brings  me  in  a  good 
income,  and  you  have  heard  the  old  saying, 
'  A  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush/ 
so  I  must  refuse  your  kind  offer." 

Sandy  McNulty,  hat  in  hand,  shifted  from 
one  foot  to  the  other,  and  drew  himself  up  till 
he  towered  far  above  the  girl. 

"  I'll  not  deny  your  answer  is  a  disappoint- 
ment, Miss  Hammond.  I  would  even  have 
bought  you  a  new  table  for  the  parlor  an'  put 
in  a  better  pump  in  the  kitchen  if  your  answer 
had  been  more  favorable.  But  I  must  say  your 
conclusion  shows  a  level  head  and  a  business 
turn  the  same  as  myself.  It  is,  as  we  might 
say,  a  blow  to  posterity  too,  for  with  a  pair  of 
heads  of  a  thrifty  turn,  what  might  not  the 
McNultys  to  come  bring  aboot  in  the  lang  run  ? 
However,  tak'  your  toime.  If  yer  moind  tak's 
a  turn  in  the  next  six  months  or  a  year 
even,  let  me  know.  I'll  bid  ye  good-by  the 
day." 


184  The  Violin  Lady 

As  the  door  closed  behind  him  Virginia  sank 
into  a  chair  and  let  the  laughter  so  long  pent 
up  have  way.  "  There's  one  thing  sure,  I  am 
having  samples  of  courtship  not  found  in 
modern  or  ancient  romances  —  certainly  not  in 
books  of  etiquette  —  but  I  don't  believe  I  shall 
ever  have  another  like  this  one  if  I  live  to  be 
a  hundred,"  she  decided. 

They  sailed  from  Greenock  to  Belfast,  and 
made  such  good  time  with  a  fair  sea  that  they 
reached  there  hours  before  they  intended.  As 
if  to  put  in  the  time,  as  the  girls  sat  in  a  tiny 
sitting-room  adjoining  their  bedroom,  a  card 
was  brought  to  them  announcing  the  advent  of 
Captain  Albert  Edward  Farringdon,  H.M.N. 
"  I  am  sure  I  am  not  wanted ;  he's  an  emissary 
from  his  brother,  though  he  must  have  used 
an  aeroplane  to  reach  us  so  quickly.  The  Van 
Andens  asked  me  to  drive  with  them  so  that  I 
shall  vanish." 

And,  in  spite  of  Virginia's  remonstrances, 
Marcelle  was  gone,  and  a  moment  later,  as 
fresh  and  well-groomed,  as  boyish  and  winning 


Marriage  in  Different  Countries     185 

as  he  had  been  when  she  had  left  him  in  Lon- 
don, Virginia  was  welcoming  the  brother  of 
Lord  Farringdon. 


CHAPTER  X 

A  LOVER  WON,  A  LOVER  LOST 

ARE  you  surprised  to  see  me,  Miss  Ham- 
mond?" 

"  It  is  rather  unexpected,"  Virginia 
replied,  as  she  shook  hands ;  "  though  in  these 
days  nothing  ought  to  be.  I  hardly  thought 
we  would  see  you  till  we  were  again  in  Lon- 
don." 

He  sat  down  with  the  air  of  having  been 
there  a  little  while  before. 

"  My  leave  is  up  next  week,  and  as  you  told 
my  mother  of  your  itinerary  in  your  letter,  I 
figured  it  out  that  you  would  be  in  Belfast  to- 
day or  to-morrow.  Thank  heaven,  I  found 
you  alone!  I  fear,  Miss  Hammond,  that  I 
have  come  on  a  wildgoose  chase,  but  I  had  to 
undertake  it.  You  see,  I  tried  to  think  that  it 
was  no  use,  but  after  you  left  I  found  how 

186 


A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       187 

serious  was  my  condition.  I  know  that  a  girl 
like  you,  gifted  far  beyond  the  ordinary,  beauti- 
ful, independent,  would  not  be  likely  to  fancy 
a  chap  like  me,  a  younger  son,  off  at  sea  most 
of  the  time,  with  no  wealth ;  but  I  had  to  know. 
Miss  Hammond,  I  love  you  dearly;  I  feel  that 
life  without  you  will  be  a  very  drab  existence. 
Is  there  any  hope?  " 

He  looked  at  her  —  eager,  handsome,  plead- 
ing. Virginia's  heart  turned  cold  within  her. 

"  Oh,  Captain  Bertie,  I'm  so  sorry,  but  I  fear 
there  isn't.  I  don't  believe  I  know  how  to  love 
anything  or  anybody  except  my  family  or  pro- 
fession. Yet  I  care  so  much  for  you  I  wonder 
why  I  can't  go  further.  If  I  did,  your  roving 
life,  your  being  a  younger  son,  would  be  noth- 
ing. It  is  hard  to  hurt  you ;  I  wish  that  I  might 
say  yes,  but  I  can't  and  be  just  to  myself  or 
you." 

The  Captain's  ruddy  face  paled,  but  his 
direct  eyes  looked  into  hers. 

"  Don't  blame  yourself,  dear ;  you  deserve 
so  much  more  than  I  can  give  you.  Years  ago 


188  The  Violin  Lady 

a  maiden  aunt  left  me  a  modest  fortune. 
Though  often  tempted,  I  have  left  it  untouched, 
I  hoped  now  it  would  be  for  you.  You  ought 
to  have  the  title,  but  my  brother  cannot  follow 
his  inclinations.  He  is  bound  to  marry  accord- 
ing to  our  traditions.  Thank  fortune,  I  am 
more  independent,  though,  of  course,  I  suppose 
I  ought  to  think  more  of  such  things.  I  only 
think  of  you,  my  darling.  Virginia,  don't  you 
think  that  you  might  learn  to  love  me?  Con- 
sent to  write  to  me,  let  me  try  to  win  you  that 
way;  let  us  have  a  sort  of  an  understanding, 
not  a  binding  engagement,  that  if  in  a  year  you 
still  feel  that  marriage  and  love  are  out  of  the 
question,  that  will  settle  it.  Don't  send  me  off 
on  a  long  voyage  with  a  definite  refusal !  You 
say  you  care  for  me ;  how  do  you  know  that  the 
feeling  may  not  increase  with  time?  Give  me 
a  chance.  Do  let  me  have  that  much  hope, 
won't  you  ?  " 

The  girl  wavered,  hesitated.  She  felt  that 
she  could  not  bring  needless  pain  to  the  honest 
clear  eyes  fixed  upon  her  so  appealingly.  He 


A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       189 

seemed  so  very  young,  yet  he  was  three  years 
her  senior.  Why  turn  her  back  on  all  that  his 
desires  promised  her  ?  Why  not  grant  his  far 
from  exacting  request?  She  put  her  hand  in 
his. 

"  I  will  do  as  you  say,  only  it  must  not  be  a 
betrothal,  remember,  nothing  binding." 

His  rapturous  expression  gave  her  a  guilty 
feeling. 

"  Oh,  don't  hope,  Captain  Bertie,  I  am  so  un- 
certain ;  and  you  must  remember  that  my  heart 
is  set  on  my  profession." 

"Well,  you  needn't  give  it  up.  I  shall  be 
away  so  much,  and  while  wives  often  follow 
their  husbands,  you  can  many  times  go  on  tour 
as  you  are  doing  now." 

"If  your  brother  objected  would  that  make 
any  difference  —  to  my  profession,  I  mean  ?  " 

The  first  cloud  came  over  the  flushed,  eager 
face. 

"  Well,  of  course,  Reggie  is  the  head  of  the 
house,  and  we  feel  bound  to  listen  to  him ;  but 
I'm  almost  sure  he  would  not  insist,  he  seemed 


190  The  Violin  Lady 

to  enjoy  your  wonderful  playing  so  much;  and 
if  he  did,  I  think  I  could  make  him  see  your 
point  of  view.  Do  you  know  that  it  seems 
hardly  fair  to  you  to  urge  your  taking  a  plain 
fellow  like  me?  I  feel  that  you  ought  to  be 
Lady  Farringdon  —  what  a  glorious  one  you'd 
make!  And  Reggie  is  a  fine  fellow  with  so 
much  more  to  him  than  I.  He  is  so  sane  and 
calm,  and  I'm  always  plunging  into  things  pell 
mell.  I'm  so  impulsive  and  impatient." 

"  I  much  prefer  you  to  your  brother's  type," 
Virginia  declared  with  emphasis. 

"  Well,  I  shan't  quarrel  with  your  prefer- 
ence, though  I  wonder  at  your  taste.  Oh,  Vir- 
ginia —  may  I  call  you  that  ?  —  I  must  leave  in 
the  morning  and  you  must  play  this  evening, 
there's  so  little  time  left." 

"  But  there  are  the  letters ;  are  you  a  good 
correspondent?  " 

"  No,  I've  always  chafed  over  letter-writ- 
ing; but  it  will  be  different  now.  I  shall  have 
every  incentive  to  improve.  You  don't  know 
how  happy  you've  made  me.  You  are  so  lovely 


A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       191 

it  gives  me  joy  just  to  think  of  you!  I  never 
knew  such  a  girl.  You're  sweet  yet  strong,  ut- 
terly unconscious  and  unspoiled,  independent 
yet  womanly;  how  dare  I  ask  so  much  of  you, 
I,  a  mere  ordinary  man?  " 

Virginia  hoped  most  devoutly  that  Marcelle 
and  the  others  would  return.  She  found  it 
very  difficult  to  hold  her  lover  to  their  com- 
pact, but  she  told  herself  that  she  must  not  be 
too  rigid  when  his  time  was  so  short,  when, 
after  all,  she  was  withholding  so  much. 

"  I  don't  want  to  seem  meddling,  Captain," 
she  said  very  earnestly,  "  but  I  am  not  at  all 
satisfied  as  to  your  uncle's  welfare.  I  know 
that  he  has  everything  necessary  for  his  bodily 
wants,  but  oh,  the  other  side  would  mean  so 
much  more  to  me!  Blindness  has  always 
seemed  unbearable.  I  long  for  him  to  have 
more  diversion,  more  interests.  I  may  be 
wrong,  but  I  don't  like  Fleming.  I  know  that 
you  are  at  home  so  little,  but  couldn't  you  talk 
to  your  mother  and  your  brother,  and  have  bet- 
ter, brighter  conditions  for  him  ?  " 


192  The  Violin  Lady 

Again  the  cloud  on  the  Captain's  face. 

"  I  have  talked  to  Reggie  and  so  has  the 
Mater,  but  he  doesn't  look  at  it  as  we  do.  I 
spoke  to  him  again  after  you  left,  when  I  saw 
how  the  dear  old  fellow  enjoyed  your  recital 
and  meeting  others,  but  Reggie  has  always  been 
rather  easily  upset,  don't  you  know  ?  He  says 
that  it  is  exceedingly  annoying  to  him  to  see 
any  illness  or  unpleasant  things,  and  that  the 
very  thought  of  my  uncle,  helpless,  groping, 
sets  his  teeth  on  edge.  He  orders  things  for 
his  comfort,  but  he  doesn't  want  to  meet  him. 
Why,  even  when  the  Mater  is  ill  he  won't  go 
near  her  till  she  is  up  and  about,  and  when  I 
had  pneumonia  he  left  the  house.  He  says  I 
can't  understand  how  sensitive  a  deep  nature 
like  his  is  to  such  things,  as  I'm  so  volatile  and 
on  the  surface  — " 

"  Sensitive !  "  Virginia  burst  forth,  unable  to 
keep  silence  any  longer.  "  He  means  selfish. 
I  cannot  understand  why  you  all  seem  to  feel 
as  you  do  about  your  brother.  You,  people  of 
intelligence,  seem  to  become  suddenly  mere 


'A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       193 

puppets  to  be  pulled  by  Lord  Farringdon's 
wires  just  because  he  is,  as  you  say,  the  head 
of  the  house  and  bears  the  title." 

The  other  looked  at  her  with  puzzled  brows. 

"Does  it  seem  that  way  to  you?  All  our 
friends,  or  most  of  them,  have  the  same  point 
of  view,  and  I've  always  been  brought  up  to  it. 
When  younger  sons  and  even  daughters  in  two 
instances  kicked  the  traces,  it  made  no  end  of 
a  row,  and  everybody  was  so  uncomfortable 
and  upset.  My  father  pointed  out  the  inci- 
dents as  an  object  lesson  to  my  sisters  and  me. 
But  about  Fleming,  I  think  you're  right,  and  I 
believe  I  can  do  something  there.  If  Reggie 
isn't  disturbed  he  won't  mind  a  change  of 
valets,  and  I  don't  believe  if  he  took  time  to 
think  about  it  that  he  likes  Fleming  him- 
self." 

And  then  the  others  came  in  to  run  over  a  few 
things  they  were  to  give  that  evening,  and 
Captain  Bertie,  unable  to  talk  to  the  girl  of  his 
heart,  was  content  to  watch  and  listen.  He 
saw  very  little  of  her  before  he  left.  The  eve- 


194  The  Violin  Lady 

ning  performance  was  later  than  usual,  the 
program  longer.  The  next  morning  at  nine 
the  Captain  took  the  steamer  for  England. 
They  all  went  down  to  the  pier  to  see  him  off, 
Miss  Van  Anden's  keen,  watchful  eyes  fixed 
suspiciously  on  the  two.  He  had  only  one 
chance  before  he  left  of  saying :  "  Do  your 
best,  dear,  to  try  to  like  me,  and  remember  that 
while  there  are  far  worthier  men,  not  one  would 
try  harder  than  I  to  deserve  you  and  to  make 
you  happy." 

They  all  stood  watching  the  vessel  steam 
away,  Virginia  asking  herself :  "  What  have 
I  done?  I  ought  not  to  have  given  him  so 
much  hope.  Yet  what  girl  would  not  be 
drawn  towards  such  a  straightforward,  win- 
ning personality?  " 

At  the  same  time  her  manager  was  saying  to 
Marcelle,  with  what  she  called  his  growling 
voice:  "Well,  I  am  glad  the  fellow's  gone. 
Miss  Hammond's  playing  was  not  equal  to  her 
best  last  night." 

"  You  are  very  exacting  not  to  feel  satisfied 


A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       195 

with  Miss  Hammond's  rendering  of  the  three 
selections  of  Wieniawski's.  You  were,  I 
fancy,  predisposed  to  severe  criticism." 

"Well,  you  certainly  did  your  best;  your 
voice  improves  like  wine  with  time." 

"  I  wondered  if  you  were  going  to  say  age. 
I  am  not  yet  old  enough  to  resent  it,  and  I  am 
so  tired  of  having  the  papers  speak  of  '  the 
youthful  artists.'  As  Virginia  says,  I  feel  as 
if  I  were  still  in  the  kindergarten." 

Mr.  Van  Anden  smiled  tolerantly. 

"  I,  for  one,  can't  find  fault  with  our  press 
notices,"  he  declared.  "  They  are  far  beyond 
my  most  sanguine  hopes.  Our  venture  has 
proved  an  immense  success." 

Marcelle  glanced  at  him  in  surprise.  He 
was  usually  so  extremely  reticent  and  chary  of 
praise  that  both  she  and  Virginia  sometimes 
secretly  resented  his  attitude. 

At  eleven  they  left  for  Dublin.  Virginia 
admired  the  beautiful  city,  and  wished  intensely 
for  more  time  to  see  it  and  the  country  prop- 
erly. She  felt  that  she  was  being  whirled 


196  The  Violin  Lady 

through  Great  Britain  like  a  human  automo- 
bile, catching  tantalizing  glimpses  here  and 
there  of  fascinating  objects,  only  to  leave  them 
half  seen  or  unseen,  then  on  to  the  next  place. 
"  Never  mind,  I  shall  come  back  some  day  for 
a  leisurely  beautiful  trip  when  business  is  left 
behind,"  she  thought. 

After  Cork  they  returned  to  Dublin,  and 
sailed  early  in  the  morning  for  Liverpool.  Vir- 
ginia sat  on  deck  in  her  steamer  chair  devoting 
herself  to  her  mail.  After  reading  Ma's  let- 
ter, inclosing  the  children's,  Virginia  tore  open 
one  from  her  oldest  girl  friend,  Grace  McPher- 
son,  whose  home  was  near  hers  in  the  country. 
She  had  had  many  surprises  in  her  life,  but  this 
held  perhaps  the  greatest  one.  It  ran  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  My  dear  Jinny : 

"  I've  been  very  remiss  lately  in  writing. 
My  heart  and  hands  have  been  full.  I  have 
seen  a  great  deal  of  your  friend,  Theodore  Jor- 
dan, You  remember  that  we  met  at  your 


A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       197 

father's  home  nearly  two  years  ago.  He  came 
up  here  last  summer,  when  on  a  visit  to  Car- 
lisle to  his  home  people.  I  fancy  he  came 
chiefly  to  talk  with  me  of  you.  One  afternoon 
it  all  came  out,  his  hopeless  love  for  you  and  his 
gradual  conviction  that  you  were  right  when 
you  insisted  that  you  cared  more  for  your  fiddle 
than  for  any  man.  I  felt  very  sorry  for  him, 
Jinny;  I  think  so  much  of  you  myself  that  I 
perhaps  realized  more  than  any  one  what  he 
had  lost.  I  also  felt  the  hopelessness  of  it. 
He  stayed  a  week  longer  than  he  intended. 
He  asked  me  to  write  to  him  and  we  have  cor- 
responded regularly.  At  the  Christmas  holi- 
days he  came  again. 

"  Then,  as  you  know,  Elizabeth  came  for  a 
few  days'  visit  to  see  your  stepmother.  How 
the  latter  loves  you,  Virginia!  I  never  saw 
such  pride  and  affection  as  shine  in  her  kind 
eyes  when  she  talks  of  you ! 

"  Well,  Elizabeth  and  I  saw  a  great  deal  of 
each  other  in  the  short  visit.  One  day  she  said 
suddenly :  '  I  don't  know  whether  Thee  or 


198  The  Violin  Lady 

Alan  is  to  marry  Genevieve  Black.  A  while 
ago  I  was  sure  it  was  Alan ;  lately  I've  thought 
from  something  in  one  of  his  letters  that  it  was 
Thee.  I  tease  Virginia  and  tell  her  she  is  half 
jealous  of  Miss  Black,  for  both  her  chums  are 
so  taken  with  her  and  admire  her  so  much.  In 
Paris  Virginia  and  I  were  rather  wobbly  about 
which  one  she  would  marry.  Then  when  Alan 
didn't  come  over  at  the  last  minute  we  were 
sure  that  as  he  preferred  going  to  the  Blacks' 
ranch,  he  was  the  prospective  bridegroom. 
Thee  didn't  talk  about  her  so  much  at  Christ- 
mas, and  that  is  a  bad  sign.  Mother  and  I 
always  hoped  he  would  marry  Virginia,  but 
while  they  were  the  best  of  friends  there  was 
never  the  least  bit  of  sentiment  between  them. 
I  should  think  all  the  men  would  be  crazy  over 
Virginia.  I  never  knew  a  girl  who  had  so 
much.  The  gods  love  her,  but  I  hope  she  won't 
die  young.  And  I  never  knew  a  girl  who 
cared  so  little  for  men  in  that  way.  Her  violin 
seems  sufficient  to  fill  all  needs/ 

"  Then  we  talked  of  your  success  and  pre- 


A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       199 

dieted  great  things  of  your  future.  I  don't 
wonder  you  like  Elizabeth,  Jinny :  she  is  a  fine 
girl.  She  insisted  on  my  going  back  with  her 
on  a  visit.  I  had  the  time  of  my  life.  And 
while  I  was  there  came  the  astounding  letter 
from  Theodore.  He  had  come  to  love  me,  and 
begged  me  to  try  and  care  for  him  a  little.  It 
was  a  beautiful  letter,  Jinny.  I  don't  see  how 
he  ever  came  to  love  me  after  such  a  girl  as 
you.  I  should  be  jealous  of  some  girls,  but  I 
can't  be  of  you.  I've  loved  you  ever  since  I 
can  remember.  You've  stood  to  me  for  all 
that  is  fine  and  high  and  straight.  I've  tried  to 
live  up  to  you.  But  I  had  come  to  think  that 
Genevieve  Black  had  consoled  him  for  you. 
And  here  it  was  I.  I  cannot  yet  believe  it. 
He  has  just  left  here.  We  are  to  be  married 
in  May.  I  do  hope  you  will  be  home  by  then. 
We're  to  take  a  short  trip  and  then  on  to  that 
beautiful  ranch  which  I  am  to  share  with  him. 
I  don't  believe  I  could  be  happy  in  the  city.  I 
love  the  very  breath  of  the  country,  and  a  big 
ranch  is  my  ideal  of  a  home.  Wish  us  happi- 


200  The  Violin  Lady 

ness,  Jinny.  The  Jordans  have  been  so  dear, 
and  my  people  are  so  happy  over  it,  and  your 
stepmother  is  knitting  me  lace  and  making  the 
daintiest  lingerie  for  my  trousseau.  She  is  the 
best  woman.  You  can't  realize  how  Janet  is 
developing  lately ;  and  Bob  is  a  fine  fellow  and 
so  handsome.  Lucinda  Dildine  is  to  bake  my 
cakes  for  the  wedding,  so  they  will  be  all  right. 
Elizabeth  and  I  are  sure  now  that  Alan  is  Gene- 
vieve's  lover.  He  has  just  returned  from 
there.  He  said  to  Elizabeth,  just  before  he 
left,  that  a  Miss  Ainslee,  who  had  spent  several 
months  in  London,  reported  that  gossip  de- 
clared that  the  new  American  violinist,  Miss 
Hammond,  was  to  be  the  future  Lady  Farring- 
don;  but  Elizabeth  and  I  are  sure  that  if  that 
were  true  you  would  have  told  us  before 
now. 

"  Jinny  dear,  I  want  more  than  ever  to  see 
you  face  to  face.  The  only  thing  that  ever 
made  me  doubt  your  taste  and  judgment  was 
your  refusal  of  Theodore.  I  can't  see  how  you 
could  do  it !  I  know  that  you  will  wish  us  both 


'A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       201 

all  happiness  and  good,  and  I  can  wish  for  you 
no  greater  thing  than  just  such  a  love  as 
ours. 

"  With  deep  affection,  as  ever, 

"  GRACE." 

"  Marcelle,"  Virginia  cried,  as  the  latter 
placed  her  chair  nearer  hers ;  "  I  never  was,  as 
Lucinda  Dildine  would  say,  so  flabbergasted  in 
my  life !  You  met  my  friend,  Grace  McPher- 
son,  when  you  visited  me,  and  here  she,  and  not 
Genevieve  Black,  is  to  marry  Theodore.  How 
strange  life  is!  And  what  capers  fortune 
kicks  up  just  when  we  think  she  is  a  staid  fe- 
male. Well,  I  believe  after  all,  they  are  suited 
admirably,  when  I  once  get  used  to  the  idea; 
but  how  funny  that  neither  Elizabeth  nor  I  ever 
dreamed  of  such  a  thing! " 

"  I  thought  it  was  you,"  Marcelle  said. 
"  You  know  I  was  at  the  Blacks'  ranch  when 
you  and  Mr.  Jordan  were  together  for  a  while, 
and  if  ever  I  saw  a  man  in  love  with  a  girl  that 
same  man  was  your  Mr.  Theodore.  I  might 


202  The  Violin  Lady 

have  fallen  in  love  with  him  myself  if  he  had 
more  than  glanced  at  me." 

"  Grace  is  far  better  suited  to  him  than  I 
could  ever  be.  She  is  so  steady  and  well-bal- 
anced, capable  and  level-headed.  I  always 
said  she  wore  so  well.  Thee  will  adore  her." 

Marcelle  looked  at  her  friend  with  what  Vir- 
ginia called  her  three-cornered  smile. 

"  You  certainly  are  a  queer  girl,  Miss  Ham- 
mond. Here  I  have  wanted  all  my  life  to  be 
beautiful;  I  almost  worship  beauty;  and  you 
have  it  and  do  not  seem  to  care  for  it.  I  de- 
clare, I  do  not  think  fate  gives  a  square  deal." 

"  Marcelle,"  Virginia  said  earnestly,  "  I  do 
not  see  why  you  and  others  call  me  a  beauty. 
I  looked  at  myself  last  night  in  the  mirror  quite 
critically,  and  what  I  saw  is  just  a  pleasant, 
attractive  face ;  and  you  and  many  others  have 
that.  Lady  Farringdon  said  that  you  had." 

Marcelle  smiled  again. 

"  There  are  none  so  blind  as  those  who  won't 
see,"  she  quoted.  "  I  wonder,"  she  added,  with 
a  quick,  mischievous  glance  at  her  friend, 


'A  Lover  Won,  a  Lover  Lost       203 

"  how  Captain  Bertie  succeeded  as  his  brother's 
emissary?  Did  you  ever  hear  of  an  American 
named  John  Alden?  " 

And  Virginia,  much  to  her  own  vexation, 
felt  the  traitorous  tell-tale  color  mount  to  her 
forehead  as  she  hastily  changed  the  subject. 


CHAPTER  XI 

NOVEL  EXPERIENCES   IN    LONDON 

THE  next  few  weeks  were  a  whirl. 
After  the  Liverpool  performance  Mr. 
Van  Anden  spirited  them  away  to 
Leeds,  Manchester,  Birmingham,  Coventry, 
Northampton  and  Cambridge  in  quick  succes- 
sion. He  understood  the  importance  of  clever 
advertising.  Everywhere  they  met  with  en- 
thusiastic audiences,  but  the  girls  grew  very 
tired  by  the  time  they  reached  London.  Miss 
Van  Anden  was  at  times  hardly  endurable. 
Virginia  wondered  sometimes  if  she  could  be 
quite  sane.  She  seemed  especially  vindictive 
towards  herself.  Virginia  had  had  two  letters 
from  Captain  Bertie.  They  were  much  better 
than  he  had  led  her  to  expect, —  natural,  easy, 
like  himself.  Aunt  Henrietta  had  sent  them 
the  address  of  excellent  lodgings  on  Half  Moon 
Street,  off  Piccadilly,  of  a  French  widow  of 

204 


Novel  Experiences  in  London       205 

recently  reduced  fortunes,  who  had  consented 
to  let  them  have  a  bedroom  and  sitting-room 
at  moderate  prices.  After  a  rest  of  two  days 
they  gave  a  recital  at  Steinway  Hall.  To  the 
girls'  surprise,  the  Londoners  did  not  seem  to 
have  forgotten  their  previous  entertainment, 
and  the  hall  was  full. 

They  found  a  letter  from  Lady  Farringdon, 
cordial,  apologetic,  full  of  regrets  over  their 
inability  to  entertain  them  as  they  had  hoped, 
but  Lord  Farringdon  had  decided  that  he 
needed  a  trip  on  the  Continent,  so  they  had 
closed  the  house  and  departed.  "  You  showed 
so  much  interest,  my  dear  Miss  Hammond,  in 
my  brother  when  here,"  she  added,  "  that  per- 
haps you  will  be  interested  to  know  that  he  is 
at  comfortable  lodgings  at  Rye  with  his  new 
valet,  who  is  devoted  to  him.  Bertie  made  me 
promise  that  if  we  left  town  we  would  do  this. 
He  found  the  valet  through  friends." 

The  Van  Andens  were  to  go  directly  to  New 
York.  They  settled  affairs  satisfactorily  to 
all  concerned  before  they  separated. 


206  The  Violin  Lady 

"  I  must  say,  young  ladies,"  Mr.  Van  Anden 
announced,  in  his  formal  manner,  "  that  when 
I  undertook  our  present  enterprise  it  was  with 
various  misgivings  as  to  its  ultimate  success; 
but  it  has  proved  most  satisfactory  financially 
and  artistically.  I  should  be  most  happy  to  re- 
peat it  in  the  future,  either  abroad  or  in  our 
own  country." 

"  He  ignores  the  important  obstacle  to  any 
future  contracts,  his  sister,"  Marcelle  said  to 
Virginia,  as  the  two  started  for  their  lodgings. 
"  But,  I  must  say,  I  have  found  our  manager 
most  satisfactory,"  Marcelle  went  on;  "hon- 
orable, fairly  considerate  and  a  gentleman. 
What  a  pity  that  he  must  be  saddled  with  an 
incubus  like  Drusilla!  Most  men  wouldn't 
stand  for  it.  He  is  either  the  most  forbearing 
of  saints  or  the  most  craven  of  men.  Virginia, 
do  you  realize  that  we  are  free  creatures  with 
leisure  to  join  the  militants,  to  dawdle  or  to 
sight-see  from  morn  till  dewy  eve?  I  feel  in- 
toxicated with  the  very  thought  of  it  after  such 
a  strenuous  six  months." 


Novel  Experiences  in  London       207 

"  Strenuous !  I  should  say  so !  "  Virginia 
agreed.  "  For  the  first  time  in  my  checkered 
existence  I  didn't  know  Christmas  till  I  ran  up 
against  it  the  night  before !  " 

The  next  morning  Marcelle  went  out  to  do 
some  necessary  shopping,  leaving  the  Violin 
Lady  to  write  letters.  Virginia  could  hardly 
believe  her  eyes  when  the  maid  brought  up  Mr. 
Van  Anden's  card.  With  forebodings  of  she 
knew  not  what,  she  received  him. 

Although  she  had  seen  him  constantly  for 
months,  Virginia  never  felt  that  she  knew  the 
real  Mr.  Van  Anden.  His  extreme  reserve 
seemed  to  envelop  him  as  with  a  garment.  He 
was  remarkably  ill  at  ease. 

"  I  am  sure,  my  dear  Miss  Hammond,  that 
you  thought  you  were  done  with  the  Van  An- 
dens,"  he  said,  smiling  a  little,  "  but  I  wished 
to  call  in  regard  to  certain  matters  before  I  left 
town." 

"  Miss  Le  Due  is  out,"  Virginia  informed 
him,  as  he  paused. 

"  Yes,  I  have  been  with  her  for  an  hour  or 


208  The  Violin  Lady 

more,"  he  said.  "  The  interview,"  he  hesi- 
tated, "  was  not  what  I  hoped,  but  it  was  what 
I  feared.  Miss  Hammond,  I  asked  your  friend 
to  be  my  wife.  I  would  not  do  so  earlier,  be- 
cause her  refusal  would  have  made  our  rela- 
tions embarrassing  and  unpleasant  during  our 
business  arrangement.  I  was  hardly  surprised 
that  her  answer  was  what  it  turned  out  to  be ; 
but  I  feel  that  I  cannot  be  reconciled  to  all  that 
it  implies.  My  relations  with  her  have  shown 
her  to  me  under  so  many  and  varied  circum- 
stances that  I  feel  that  I  know  her  well.  The 
knowledge  has  only  deepened  my  regard.  I 
care  for  her  so  deeply,"  his  carefully  modulated 
voice  trembled  in  spite  of  him,  "  that  I  have 
ventured  to  ask  if  you  will  plead  with  her  for 
me,  urging  her  to  at  least  postpone  her  ulti- 
matum for  a  while  and  allow  me  to  try  to  win 
her.  I  feel  that  it  is  asking  a  great  deal  to 
expect  a  gifted  girl  like  Miss  Le  Due  to  share 
my  modest  fortunes,  but  I  would  do  my  best 
to  make  her  happy." 

"  I  am  sure  that  you  would,"  Virginia  has- 


Novel  Experiences  in  London      209 

tened  to  say;  "but  Marcelle  is  a  woman  who 
has  a  decided  mind  of  her  own.  More  than 
this,  she  seems  wonderfully  indifferent  to  the 
attentions  of  men,  and,  so  far,  averse  to  all 
ideas  of  matrimony.  But  I  shall  do  my  best, 
Mr.  Van  Anden.  I  shall  ask  her  at  least  to 
reconsider  her  answer,  and,  if  she  refuses,  to 
allow  you  to  write  to  her  and  be  on  terms  of  in- 
timate friendship  with  her." 

"  Thank  you,  Miss  Hammond ;  you  are  most 
kind."  He  paused,  and  Virginia,  impatient  to 
finish  her  letters,  wondered  at  his  delayed  de- 
parture. 

"  I  have  put  my  own  affairs  first  for  fear 
Miss  Le  Due  would  return  before  I  could  fin- 
ish," he  hurried  on,  "  but  I  want  to  speak  of 
another  matter.  It  pertains  to  my  sister.  In 
one  of  her  spasms  of  temper  this  morning  she 
informed  me  of  some  of  the  unfortunate  — 
often,  I  fear,  insulting  —  things  she  has  said 
to  you  and  Miss  Le  Due.  Several  things  she 
repeated  to  you  were  false,  one  that  I  had  said 
you  were  not  a  genius.  I  had  declared  you 


210  The  Violin  Lady 

were  and  it  made  her  very  angry.  I  hesitated 
to  allow  her  to  join  our  little  company,  but  she 
begged  and  implored  so  earnestly,  and  prom- 
ised over  and  again  that  she  would  do  better, 
that  I  yielded.  My  sister  was  left  to  my  care 
by  my  mother  when  I  was  a  boy;  I  have  tried 
to  make  good,  but  she  has  been  a  problem.  She 
is  really  to  be  pitied,  for  her  life  is  what  she 
makes  it.  I  am  more  distressed  than  I  can  say 
that  you  should  have  had  to  bear  what  you  must 
have  borne  all  these  months,  but  it  is  a  matter 
in  which  I  am  powerless.  I  will  bid  you  good 
morning." 

"  Not  yet,  please,"  Virginia  hastened  to  say. 
"  Let  me  tell  you  first  that  while  it  has  been 
hard  neither  Marcelle  nor  I  have  ever  blamed 
you,  Mr.  Van  Anden ;  and  I  want  to  thank  you 
again  for  your  kindness  and  upright  dealing 
with  me." 

"  Your  future  is  already  assured,  Miss  Ham- 
mond. I  wish  you  all  kinds  of  good  things." 

"  The  same  to  you,"  returned  Virginia,  as  he 
bowed  himself  out. 


Novel  Experiences  in  London       211 

She  went  back  to  her  letters  but  the  zest  was 
gone.  She  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  man 
back  of  his  formal,  correct  speech,  and  her  com- 
passion was  roused. 

"  Poor  man !  "  Virginia  thought.  "  He  can 
never  win  Marcelle,  and  his  sister  will  neither 
die  nor  marry.  What  a  fate !  " 

She  wrote  on,  finished  one  letter,  began  an- 
other. Then  again  the  maid  interrupted  her : 
"  A  lady  to  see  you;  she  hasn't  a  card." 

Virginia  glanced  up  inquiringly  as  a  woman, 
heavily  veiled,  entered  the  little  room.  She 
threw  back  the  thick  veil  and  faced  her.  It 
was  Drusilla,  her  eyes  swollen  and  red,  her 
unattractive  face  distorted  and  repellent. 

"  I've  had  a  dreadful  scene  with  my  brother," 
she  began.  "  He  is  the  only  being  on  earth  I 
care  for,  and  I've  ruined  his  success  now  as  I 
have  before.  Neither  you  nor  Miss  Le  Due 
will  ever  want  to  go  with  him  again,  and  he  has 
never  done  so  well  as  with  you." 

"  We  would  be  glad  to  go  with  your  brother 
at  some  future  time.  Miss  Van  Anden,  but  not 


212  The  Violin  Lady 

with  you,"  Virginia  replied  frankly.  "We 
could  not  in  reason  subject  ourselves  to  another 
wearing  experience  such  as  we  have  endured 
at  your  hands.  You  could  not  expect  it." 

"  I  don't.  I  am  cursed  with  a  temper  and 
disposition  that  can  come  only  from  the  Evil 
One.  I  cannot  remember  the  time  when  I 
wasn't  discontented  and  unhappy.  Why  was 
I  born  so  and  you  entirely  different?  Why 
was  I,  who  longed  to  be  attractive,  made  so 
utterly  unattractive  and  ugly?  Why  must  I, 
who  have  worked  hard  for  years  at  my  music, 
fail  to  make  good  because  I  lack  some  inherent 
gift  I  cannot  gain,  while  you  and  Miss  Le  Due 
have  it  ?  I  have  hated  you  ever  since  that  first 
public  performance  at  Cardiff;  hated  you  so 
that  I  felt  at  times  I  could  kill  you,  you,  who 
have,  through  no  deserving  of  your  own, 
snatched  all  of  Fortune's  gifts  that  I  covet. 
You  ought  to  be  kind  and  affable  and  good; 
why  shouldn't  you  be  ?  You  have  love,  admira- 
tion and  praise  lavished  on  you.  Miss  Le  Due 
is  gifted  and  graceful,  but  she  hasn't  beauty; 


Novel  Experiences  in  London      213 

and  then  she  has  had  a  much  harder  life  than 
yours,  so  I  don't  hate  her  so  much.  I  promised 
my  brother  most  solemnly  that  I  would  apolo- 
gize to  you  for  all  that  I've  done,  and  the  lies 
I've  told  you,  so  I  say  right  here  that  I  do  beg 
your  pardon,  but  I  was  bound  that  first  I  would 
tell  you  just  how  I  felt." 

Virginia,  who  had  listened  to  this  outpour- 
ing in  silence,  now  opened  her  mouth  to  speak, 
when  Drusilla  fairly  ran  from  the  room,  down 
the  stairs  and  out  into  the  street.  A  moment 
later  Marcelle  came  in. 

"  I  met  a  woman  going  out  as  I  came  in,  all 
muffled  up  in  a  dark  blue  veil  and  seeming  in 
a  mad  haste.  I  thought  we  were  the  only  lodg- 
ers." 

"  It  was  Drusilla,"  Virginia  explained.  She 
told  her  of  Miss  Drusilla's  harangue.  "  And 
really,  Marcelle,"  she  ended,  "  I  could  not  but 
feel  there  was  some  truth  in  what  she  said. 
Why,  indeed,  should  I  have  more  than  she? 
It  isn't  because  I  deserve  it.  I  was  born  so, 
and  Drusilla  was  born  her  way.  Of  course 


214  The  Violin  Lady 

we  are  bound  to  make  good,  but  think  of  how 
much  she  has  to  struggle  against  and  I  ... 
we  .  .  .  have  so  much  less." 

"  Speak  for  yourself,"  Marcelle  declared. 
"  I  never  shall  admit  I  don't  struggle,  and  fall, 
too ;  but  don't  ask  me  to  sympathize  with  Dru- 
silla.  Her  last  attack  is  too  fresh  in  my  mind." 

"  I  thought  I  was  to  have  a  very  quiet,  un- 
eventful morning  here  all  alone,  and  get  several 
letters  written,"  Virginia  went  on,  "  but  I  have 
had  new  experiences  fairly  hurled  in  my  face." 

"  Well,  I  have  had  some  unexpected  happen- 
ings myself,"  Marcelle  observed  quietly  as  she 
put  away  her  wraps. 

"  Such  as  a  proposal  of  marriage,"  Virginia 
offered  tentatively. 

Marcelle  turned  on  her  astonished  eyes. 

"  How  did  you  know  that,  Virginia  Ham- 
mond? Drusilla  couldn't  have  told  you,  for 
she  doesn't  know  it.  I  shudder  to  think  what 
she  wouldn't  do  if  she  did !  " 

"  Mr.  Van  Anden  came  here  to  beg  my  good 
offices  in  his  behalf  with  a  hard-hearted  wretch 


Novel  Experiences  in  London       215 

I  know  well,"  Virginia  explained.  "  I  must 
say  I  never  liked  him  so  well.  If  you  can't  ac- 
cept him,  Marcelle,  why  not  keep  him  as  a 
friend  and  allow  him  to  write  to  you?  You 
may  come  to  care  for  him;  and,  anyhow,  it 
would  be  a  comfort  to  him.  I  confess  I  feel 
sorry  for  the  man." 

"  I  know  that  I  shall  never  care  for  him," 
Marcelle  declared  with  such  unusual  warmth 
that  her  friend  looked  at  her  in  surprise. 
"  And,  knowing  that,  I  should  do  wrong  to  him 
and  to  myself  to  keep  leading  him  on  with  false 
hopes  to  a  worse  disappointment.  I  think  too 
highly  of  him,  and  I  would  not  approve  of  my- 
self if  I  did." 

"  But  if  he  wishes  it,  and  understands  that 
you  are  not  doing  it  to  encourage  him,  I  hardly 
see  how  it  would  be  wrong  to  him,"  persisted 
Virginia. 

"  Well,  we  look  at  it  differently;  I  gave  him 
my  answer  this  morning,  and  it  is  final.  I  am 
very  sorry  to  give  him  pain,  but  I  don't  see  why 
he  ever  fell  in  love  with  a  girl  like  me.  I 


216  The  Violin  Lady 

would  have  as  soon  thought  of  the  dome  of  St. 
Paul's  flirting  as  that  Burlington  Van  Anden 
would  be  guilty  of  such  weakness.  I  respect 
him  and  don't  dislike  him,  but  imagine  loving 
or  marrying  a  man  you  would  call  Burly  for 
short,  and  having  for  an  intimate  daily  com- 
panion one  whose  most  ordinary  speech  needs 
the  momentary  use  of  a  dictionary.  No,  Mr. 
Van  Anden  must  console  himself  with  another 
type  of  woman  from  Marcelle  Le  Due." 

"  I  told  him  that  you  had  decided  opinions 
of  your  own,"  Virginia  explained  demurely. 

"  In  other  words,"  said  Marcelle,  with  a 
gleam  in  her  dark  eyes,  "  I  am  individual.  Did 
you  never  hear  that  '  wherein  we  differ  from 
others  we  are  individual,  but  wherein  others 
differ  from  us  they  are  eccentric '  ?  Well,  I 
can't  say  that  I  care  much  for  men  in  the  bulk. 
I  don't  as  a  rule  like  to  talk  to  them.  They 
are  not  interesting  to  me;  they  either  pay  me 
ridiculous  compliments,  or,  if  they  talk  sense, 
they  lay  down  the  law  and  ignore  my  opinions, 
or  they  are  flatly  stupid.  Now,  you  like  them 


I    LIKE    WOMEN    MUCH    BETTER.       MEN    BORE    ME 


Novel  Experiences  in  London       217 

up  to  a  certain  point,  and  they  like,  but  gener- 
ally love,  you.  I  like  women  much  better. 
Men  bore  me." 

"  And  you  show  it,  too."  Virginia  gave  an 
irrepressible  giggle.  "  If  you  could  just  see 
yourself,  Marcelle!  There  you  stood  at  the 
reception  held  for  us  in  Liverpool,  for  instance, 
tall  and  prettier  than  I  ever  saw  you  in  your 
stunning  pink  silk  gown ;  I  watched  you  as  the 
male  specimens  came  crowding  about  you. 
Your  eyes,  usually  bright  and  of  a  pleasant 
turn,  acquired  a  stony  stare,  you  stiffened  until 
I  wondered  if  your  back  would  ever  unbend. 
I  saw  your  victims'  smiles  fade  away,  terror 
crept  into  their  eyes,  they  pumped  your  hand 
like  machines  and  wondered  how  soon  they 
could  escape." 

"  I  know  that  you  exaggerate,  of  course,  Vir- 
ginia," Marcelle  interrupted,  "  but  I  wonder  if 
I  do  show  my  feelings  at  all  that  way.  I  mean 
to  watch  myself  and  see." 

The  next  day  the  girls  set  out  sight-seeing, 
but  they  were  fated  not  to  have  their  coveted 


218  The  Violin  Lady 

leisure.  Offers  to  give  entertainments  at  pri- 
vate houses  poured  in  on  them.  They  found 
themselves,  to  their  amazement,  very  much  in 
demand  in  fashionable  London.  Weeks  passed 
and  they  hardly  had  an  afternoon  or  evening 
free.  The  sums  offered  them  seemed  exorbi- 
tant, but,  as  Marcelle  urged,  it  wasn't  their 
proposition.  If  people  wanted  to  pay  fancy 
prices  for  a  fad,  she  and  Virginia  were  not  the 
ones  to  demur,  she  argued.  Then  came  a  let- 
ter from  Camondreau  urging  them  to  be  in 
Paris  before  the  middle  of  June  to  offer  their 
services  in  a  concert  to  be  given  by  several  art- 
ists, the  proceeds  to  be  used  for  a  new  children's 
hospital. 

They  were  really  about  at  the  end  of  their 
resources.  They  had  been  under  quite  a  strain 
for  many  months.  There  was  beginning  to  be 
a  lull  in  the  demands  of  their  patrons.  They 
had  had  social  attentions,  they  had  made  some 
charming  acquaintances,  altogether  it  was  a 
unique  experience,  and,  as  Marcelle  said,  a  pay- 
ing investment  as  well.  It  was  enough  to  turn 


Novel  Experiences  in  London      219 

the  heads  of  older  and  more  experienced 
women,  but  the  girls  kept  theirs  on  their  shoul- 
ders. 

"  If  this  gave  us  the  big  head  I'd  be  ashamed 
to  look  Ma  in  the  face,"  Virginia  declared. 
"  It's  only  a  passing  phase,  in  two  or  three 
years  we  shall  be  forgotten,  and  somebody  will 
say :  '  Oh,  do  you  remember  those  two  Amer- 
ican girls ;  what  were  their  names  ?  ' ' 

She  managed  to  snatch  time  for  her  letters. 
Alan  had  not  written  for  some  time  when  a 
letter  came  from  him.  Virginia  found  herself 
opening  it  with  a  quaking  heart.  It  was,  she 
felt  sure,  the  announcement  of  his  engagement, 
and  that  meant  the  end  of  their  long  and  en- 
joyable friendship  and  correspondence.  But 
he  did  not  mention  Genevieve.  He  wrote  of  all 
his  doings,  of  the  young  people,  of  his  enjoy- 
ment of  Doris  Keane  in  "  Romance,"  of  a 
charming  young  girl  harpist,  a  new  friend  of 
Elizabeth's,  of  Mrs.  Jordan's  restored  health, 
of  his  good  times  with  Elizabeth,  in  spite  of 
her  round  of  gayety,  of  two  novels  he  had  read, 


220  The  Violin  Lady 

not  new  only  to  him,  and  enjoyed,  "  The  Lead 
of  Honour  "  and  "  The  Hills  of  Hampshire." 

"  I  sometimes  wonder,  Jinny,"  he  ended,  "  if 
your  violin  will  always  fully  satisfy  you.  I've 
been  subscribing  for  the  London  Times,  and  I 
keep  tab  on  your  public  doings.  You  certainly 
are  making  good  with  a  vengeance,  as  I  always 
said  you  would.  I  wonder  if  all  that  adula- 
tion and  furore  lately  appeals  to  you,  or  if  you 
in  time  will  tire  of  it.  If  you  are  the  old  Jinny 
you  would  prefer,  I  think,  the  honest  criticism 
and  appreciation  of  musicians  and  people  who 
count,  to  the  froth  of  ultra-fashionable  cults. 
I  believe  you  felt  more  real  happiness  when 
you  went  to  that  far-off  Western  ranch  to  play 
to  a  lonely  sick  woman  than  you  feel  now  after 
one  of  your  drawing-room  coteries.  Am  I 
right?" 

"  How  well  Alan  always  understands !  I 
am  tiring  of  it  all.  I  would  give  anything  to 
hear  Camondreau  criticise  me  in  his  quick, 
sharp  tone  as  he  paced  the  floor.  Too  many 
sweets  cloy;  when  one  breathes  too  much  per- 


Novel  Experiences  in  London       221 

fumed  air  one  needs  a  good  whiff  of  mountain 
oxygen." 

Virginia  put  down  Alan's  letter  written  in 
his  decidedly  masculine,  characteristic  hand, 
and  opened  Captain  Bertie's  foreign  one.  He 
told  of  scenes  in  the  Mediterranean,  of  his  go- 
ing to  a  shore  dance  at  Gibraltar  and  meeting 
some  pretty  English  and  Italian  girls.  He 
ended  with : 

"  But  oh,  how  soon  I  would  give  it  all  up  for 
one  glimpse  of  you,  Virginia!  Are  you  still 
of  the  same  mind?  Don't  you  feel  sometimes 
that  you  would  be  glad  to  see  me?  I  fear  not. 
The  little  wooden  instrument  is  still  my  deadly 
rival.  Well,  that's  better  than  one  of  flesh  and 
blood.  When  that  comes  I  shall  give  up,  but 
until  then  I  shall  hope  on,  hope  ever. 
"  Yours,  as  always, 

"  ALBERT." 

Virginia  felt  the  contrast  in  the  letters. 
There  was  something  in  Alan's  that  gave  forth 


222  The  Violin  Lady 

strength,  character,  an  intangible  but  real  sense 
of  an  earnest,  vital  force:  Bertie's  was  pleas- 
ant, even  entertaining,  but  it  lacked  something. 
She  called  herself  a  carping  critic.  She  told 
herself  that  the  Englishman  would  make  her 
reasonably  content  and  prove  a  charming  com- 
panion. Why  not  end  this  uncertainty  ?  Why 
not  make  the  Captain  blissfully  happy  by  send- 
ing him  a  message  of  surrender?  Why  not? 
Because,  in  her  heart  of  hearts,  she  demanded 
more  than  he  could  give;  because  there  was, 
when  she  thought  of  marriage,  a  vision  of  a 
union  ideal  perhaps,  but  with  conditions  which, 
to  her,  seemed  vital,  and  which  lesser  ones 
failed  to  satisfy.  Where  was  the  man  to  meet 
them?  Somewhere,  she  felt  sure;  if  not,  she 
would  go  alone  through  life.  There  was 
always  her  violin. 


CHAPTER  XII 

A    CHAPTER   OP   SURPRISES 

ONE  Sunday  morning  Virginia  and  Mar- 
celle  determined  to  go  to  the  Foundling 
Hospital.  Their  time  was  short,  and 
they  had  not  seen  half  they  longed  to,  although 
they  had  seized  every  possible  chance  that 
would  not  interfere  with  their  engagements. 
Virginia  was  especially  eager  to  see  and  hear 
the  children  sing  at  the  morning  service  in  the 
chapel,  and  they  both  wished  to  see  the  fine 
paintings  there  by  West,  Hogarth,  Gains- 
borough and  others. 

Even  Marcelle,  who  had  not  expected  much, 
was  delighted  and  surprised  over  the  singing; 
and  Virginia  saw  a  child  who  reminded  her 
of  Janet,  and  another  with  such  a  beautiful  face 
she  longed  to  run  off  with  her.  The  sermon 
was  so  especially  simple,  direct  and  original 

223 


224  The  FioUn  Lady 

that  they  were  glad  to  meet  the  young  curate 
who  gave  it  after  the  service.  They  were 
standing  by  the  organ  given  by  Handel  and 
where  he  often  played  his  Messiah,  when  he 
joined  them.  Virginia  liked  his  plain  but  ex- 
pressive face  and  manner. 

"  I  felt  that  I  must  see  you  both  to  thank 
you  for  the  immense  joy  you  gave  my  wife  and 
me  at  Steinway  Hall  several  weeks  ago.  It 
was  such  a  treat  we  think  and  talk  of  it  often. 
My  wife  was  sure  she  had  met  you  once  be- 
fore, Miss  Hammond.  Do  you  remember 
visiting  the  Haunted  House  in  the  woods  near 
your  home  and  being  present  at  a  wedding  and 
meeting  the  bride's  sister,  Betty  Armitage?" 

"  I  should  think  I  did !  You  don't  mean  that 
Betty  is  your  wife  'way  over  here  in  England  ?  " 

He  smiled  as  he  declared  that  it  was  true, 
and  that,  furthermore,  he  could  bring  her  to 
prove  it,  as  she  was  visiting  a  sick  child  in  the 
building.  Marcelle,  who  had  heard  of  the  wed- 
ding three  years  before  at  the  Haunted  House, 
was  almost  as  interested  as  she  in  meeting 


A  Chapter  of  Surprises  225 

Betty,  who  had  been  such  a  charming  hostess 
on  that  occasion.  They  watched  the  children 
at  dinner  in  their  quaint  costumes  —  Virginia 
always  had  a  guilty  feeling  on  such  rare  occur- 
rences of  putting  herself  in  the  children's  place, 
but  Marcelle  declared  they  liked  the  importance 
and  publicity  of  it. 

"  This  is  the  woman  the  ghost  of  the  Haunted 
House  wafted  here,"  David  Rogers  announced, 
and,  turning,  Virginia  found  her  hands  clasped 
by  the  girl  she  remembered  so  well,  though  she 
had  met  her  but  once  at  the  Haunted  House  at 
home.  They  both  said  almost  simultaneously : 
"  Oh,  it  is  so  good  to  see  some  one  from  home !  " 

Mr.  Rogers  talked  to  Marcelle  as  they  all 
walked  down  the  corridor,  leaving  the  others 
to  themselves. 

"  You  don't  know  how  I  felt  when  I  saw  you 
at  Steinway  Hall,"  said  Betty  Rogers  in  the 
eager,  bright  way  Virginia  recalled.  "  Your 
face  baffled  me  at  first,  and  then,  in  spite  of 
your  evening  gown  and  different  surroundings, 
I  felt  sure  it  was  you." 


226  The  Violin  Lady 

"  How  little  we  thought  when  we  parted 
where  and  how  we  would  meet  again,"  Vir- 
ginia exclaimed.  "  How  is  your  sister  Ruth?  " 

"  She  is  especially  happy  now  with  the  dear- 
est baby  six  months  old.  I  hug  his  pictures, 
but  it's  not  very  satisfying.  We  hope  to  go 
over  next  summer." 

"  I  am  simply  devoured  with  curiosity  as  to 
how  and  where  you  met  your  husband,"  Vir- 
ginia asked. 

Betty  dimpled  and  smiled.  "  It  wasn't  at 
all  romantic!  I  was  visiting  Ruth,  barely 
two  years  ago,  and  she  gave  a  little  evening 
affair  for  me.  Ellen  McCullough  asked  if  she 
might  bring  her  cousin  just  arrived  from  Eng- 
land. He  came,  saw,  and  conquered ;  we  were 
married  in  haste  before  his  return,  but  so  far 
haven't  repented,  perhaps  because  we  have  no 
leisure  to  spend  at  the  task." 

"  I  needn't  ask  if  you  like  your  new  home, 
because  your  face  tells  the  tale." 

"  I  am  certainly  a  happy  woman,  Miss  Ham- 
mond," Betty  said  earnestly,  "  but  " —  a 


A  Chapter  of  Surprises  227 

shadow  fell  over  the  smiling  eyes  — "  my  peo- 
ple can't  believe  it.  They  insist  on  picturing 
me  delving  and  toiling,  poor,  and  without  any 
of  the  social  diversions  I  enjoyed  so  keenly  at 
home.  They  won't  —  or  can't  —  see  what  it 
means  to  me  to  help  my  husband  in  his  work. 
He  says  —  just  think  of  it !  —  that  I'm  the  big- 
gest help,  and  can  reach  people  —  women  and 
children  —  that  he  can't.  I  love  it,  and  I'm  so 
proud  of  him.  Outsiders  see  in  him  only  a 
poor,  hard-working  curate,  but  I  know  him  for 
infinitely  more." 

"  His  sermon  was  far  above  the  ordinary," 
Virginia  agreed. 

"  Yes,  he  preaches  well,  but  it's  his  work  that 
tells;  just  among  poor,  hard-working,  often 
sinning  people,  but  how  he  has  helped  them! 
There  are  so  many  ways,  Miss  Hammond,  if 
one's  heart  is  in  it.  Of  course  we  often  long 
for  more  money  to  use,  not  in  alms,  but  in  so 
many  ways  —  but  David  says  it  will  come  if 
it's  right  and  we're  patient." 

They  stopped  now  and  then  to  see  the  pic- 


228  The  Violin  Lady 

tures,  but  for  once  they  paled  in  interest  beside 
the  one  Virginia  saw  from  her  companion's  un- 
conscious portrayal. 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  think  that  we  have  no 
play,"  Betty  said  before  parting.  "  We  run 
off  now  and  then  to  simple  things, —  a  lunch  in 
some  park,  hear  some  good  music,  or  go  off  on 
big  occasions  for  an  outing  to  some  of  the 
suburbs  —  there  is  always  so  much  right  to  our 
hand;  and  Mr.  Rogers'  bachelor  uncle,  who 
educated  him,  is  so  good  to  us.  He  furnished 
our  home  —  can't  you  and  your  friend  lunch  or 
dine  with  us  some  day  ?  —  and  he  is  to  give  us 
our  trip  home  next  summer." 

They  parted  at  the  next  entrance  —  the 
Rogers'  staying  there  to  dinner  and  promising 
to  call  soon  —  and  walked  up  Guildf ord  Street 
hoping  to  catch  a  cab  on  the  way. 

"  Didn't  you  think  Hogarth's  '  The  Finding 
of  Moses  '  remarkable  ?  "  began  Marcelle,  but 
Virginia  seemed  not  to  hear. 

"  Oh,  Marcelle,"  she  burst  forth,  "  if  we  only 
had  more  time  we  might  give  a  recital  and 


A  Chapter  of  Surprises  229 

make  some  money  for  Mr.  Rogers'  work.  I 
just  can't  give  it  up.  I  have  been  grubbing  for 
money  for  myself  or  being  feted  for  so  long 
I  am  sick  to  do  something  for  somebody! " 

"  We  might  make  a  little,  but  a  big  thing 
takes  time,"  Marcelle  began  dubiously,  when  a 
big  machine  slowed  down  beside  them  and  a 
voice  spoke  Virginia's  name. 

"  May  I  not  take  you  ladies  somewhere? ' 

The  girls  turned  to  see  Mr.  Gerald  Fairfax, 
M.P.,  whom  they  had  met  several  times. 

"  It  will  be  a  gift  from  heaven,"  Virginia 
assured  him,  as  he  sprang  out  and  opened  the 
door  for  them. 

"  I  didn't  dream  of  meeting  you  here,"  said 
the  gentleman. 

"  We've  been  to  the  Foundling  Hospital,  and 
had  such  a  wonderful  morning,"  Virginia  ex- 
plained. 

Mr.  Fairfax  looked  at  the  girl's  eager  face 
with  interest. 

"  Do  tell  me,"  he  found  himself  saying  like 
a  boy,  much  to  his  own  surprise. 


230  The  Violin  Lady 

Virginia  gave  an  animated  account  of  every- 
thing. 

"  She  talks  to  him  as  easily  as  she  would  to 
Theodore  Jordan,"  Marcelle  thought,  with 
amusement  mingled  with  astonishment.  "  It 
is  because  she  never  stops  to  think  of  herself. 
I  wish  I  could  forget  my  horrid  self-conscious- 
ness with  strangers,  especially  men." 

She  could  hardly  believe  her  ears  when  she 
heard  the  dignified  personage  saying:  "  Now, 
Miss  Hammond,  just  leave  it  all  to  me.  I  shall 
see  that  you  have  a  good  audience  for  your 
recital  —  shall  we  say  a  week  from  to-morrow 
night?" 

"  But,  Mr.  Fairfax,  I  never  dreamed  of  you 
helping  me;  you  are  so  busy! " 

"  Not  too  busy  to  help  you  out;  and,  besides, 
I  have  two  nephews  with  me  from  Oxford. 
They  have  heard  you  both,  and  would  consider 
themselves  honored  to  help  me  work  it  up. 
Don't  you  give  it  a  thought  except  to  send  me 
your  program." 

"  Oh,  if  you  will !     How  fortunate  for  us 


A  Chapter  of  Surprises  231 

—  not  you  —  that  we  met  you !  And  oh,  Mr. 
Fairfax,  would  it  help  any  to  say  that  I  shall 
play  my  new  creation, '  The  Conqueror  '  ?  I've 
just  finished  it." 

"  They  say  that  Time  waits  for  no  man,  Miss 
Hammond,  but  it  must  for  you,"  Mr.  Fairfax 
exclaimed,  as  he  looked  at  her  in  admiration 
and  wonder. 

"  But  I'm  a  woman,  so  Time  is  more  gallant," 
cried  the  girl  laughingly. 

They  were  at  home,  and  as  the  machine  sped 
away  Virginia  turned  to  Marcelle  with  shining 
eyes. 

"Isn't  it  lovely  how  things  work  out?  I 
can't  believe  that  we  are  to  help  that  dear  Mr. 
Rogers  and  Betty!  Oh,  we  haven't  had  any- 
thing to  eat,  have  we?  We  will  go  to  the 
'  Albany '  to-day,  and  to-morrow  let  us  try 
'  Dolly's '  for  chops;  somebody  said  they  were 
fine." 

The  next  week  was  an  extremely  busy  one. 
The  girls  visited  Dickens'  London  two  morn- 
ings, and  with  other  sight-seeing,  their 


232  The  Violin  Lady 

engagements,  and  letters,  they  had  little  lei- 
sure. 

"  What  a  boon  that  we  needn't  bother  about 
the  big  recital;  it's  like  waving  your  wand, 
presto,  it's  here !  The  Honorable  Mr.  Fairfax 
is,  as  Lucinda  says, '  getting  religion/  I  never 
was  so  surprised.  He  is  the  last  man  I  should 
think  would  be  so  deeply  interested  in  mission 
work,  but  it  shows  that  one  can't  most  always 
tell." 

Marcelle  looked  at  her  friend  curiously.  If 
she  did  not  know  her  so  well  she  would  some- 
times have  thought  her  acting  a  part,  or  at  least 
posing  as  an  ingenue. 

The  night  came  for  the  recital.  Marcelle 
did  not  share  Virginia's  optimism.  She  felt 
that  as  they  had  played  so  often,  although  to 
small  and  select  audiences,  it  is  true,  it  would 
be  difficult  if  not  impossible  to  attract  a  goodly 
number.  But  she  was  mistaken.  Albert  Hall 
was  full.  The  Honorable  Mr.  Fairfax  had 
nobly  fulfilled  his  contract ;  his  aides  had  racked 
their  youthful  brains  for  unusual  advertise- 


A  Chapter  of  Surprises  233 

ments,  and  the  fame  and  name  of  the  perform- 
ers had  done  the  rest.  The  girls  had  selected 
a  repertoire  entirely  new  to  London.  Vir- 
ginia's composition  was  received  with  wild 
enthusiasm  and  encores.  The  papers  next  day 
praised  it  in  terms  of  unusual  discrimination. 

Best  of  all,  Mr.  Rogers  received  eighty 
pounds  for  his  work. 

They  celebrated  by  a  modest,  but  exceedingly 
well-cooked  luncheon  next  day  at  the  Rogers'. 
The  latter  had  called  but  the  girls  were  out. 
They  managed  to  squeeze  in  a  lunch  with  them, 
but  a  dinner  was  not  possible.  It  was  a  really 
charming  affair.  Betty  had  a  well-trained  lit- 
tle maid,  her  house  small  and  not  modern  was 
cozy  and  tastefully  furnished.  But,  as  Vir- 
ginia said,  what  did  surroundings  matter  any- 
how with  such  natural,  happy  people  as  the 
Rogers'?  They  laughed  over  things,  they 
talked  of  home,  they  discussed  music  and  chil- 
dren, social  settlement  work,  and  books;  they 
felt  as  if  they  were  old  friends. 

"  Well,"  Marcelle  declared,  as  they  were  en 


234  The  Violin  Lady 

route  for  home  to  dress  for  a  recital  at  Lady 
Fenchurch's,  "  I  never  had  a  better  time  and  I 
never  talked  so  much.  They're  unusual  people, 
Virginia,  and  oh,  what  a  happy  face  Mrs. 
Rogers  has !  It  does  me  good  to  know  people 
like  that!" 

The  Honorable  Mr.  Fairfax  called  several 
times.  Virginia  asked  Aunt  Henrietta's 
friend,  Madame  Crozier,  who  let  them  rooms, 
to  loan  her  her  own  sitting-room  and  hover  in 
the  background  for  chaperon. 

The  last  night  Marcelle  came  down  suddenly 
to  the  back  room  and  asked  Madame' s  help 
about  fixing  over  a  dress,  and  advice  as  to  their 
route.  Virginia  did  not  notice  her  absence, 
but  Mr.  Fairfax  did. 

He  was  usually  a  man  of  resource  and  of  no 
slight  influence  in  politics,  but  to-night  he 
showed  so  much  absence  of  mind  and  a  wander- 
ing attention  that  finally  made  Virginia  nerv- 
ous. 

Suddenly  he  stopped  abruptly  in  what  he  was 
saying  and  burst  forth  impulsively :  "  Miss 


A  Chapter  of  Surprises  235 

Hammond,  you  must  think  me  very  tiresome, 
but  I  have  something  on  my  mind  that  gives 
me  no  peace  until  it  is  decided.  As  you  must 
know,  I  love  you  so  intensely  that  before  you 
leave  town  you  must  give  me  my  answer.  I 
cannot  attend  to  my  duties ;  I  am  so  unlike  my- 
self that  others  notice  it;  you  have  bewitched 
me.  Virginia,  won't  you  marry  me  ?  " 

The  girl  looked  at  him  with  such  genuine 
surprise  that  he  could  not  mistake  it. 

"Didn't  you  know?  Have  I  been  too  ab- 
rupt ? "  he  cried. 

"  Mr.  Fairfax,  I  thought  you  were  only  my 
good  friend.  I  suppose  I  am  very  stupid,  but 
this  is  a  great  surprise.  You  are  so  wise,  so 
far  above  a  girl  like  me,  that  I  supposed  you 
found  in  me  and  my  music  only  recreation  from 
your  graver  duties.  I  thought  that  I  amused 
and  interested  you,  and  I  enjoyed  and  felt 
proud  of  a  friendship  with  a  man  like  you. 
What  can  you  find  in  me  to  want  me  for  your 
wife?" 

"  I  find  everything  that  other  women  I  have 


236  The  Violin  Lady 

met  lack.  You  are  by  turns  a  child  frank,  nat- 
ural, spontaneous,  and  a  woman  earnest, 
thoughtful  and  intelligent.  Besides  this  you 
are  lovely  in  appearance,  and  last,  but  not  least, 
there  is  your  gift.  You  are  a  genius,  I  sup- 
pose, but  I  never  remember  the  fact  when  I  am 
with  you;  I  only  know  you  are  the  woman  I 
love.  And  I  see,  my  dear,  from  your  eyes  that 
you  cannot  return  it,  and  that  your  kind  heart 
refuses  to  hurt  me  by  telling  me  so.  I  felt  that 
it  was  too  much,  that  I  am  too  old  — " 

"  It  isn't  that  at  all,"  Virginia  cried  impul- 
sively. "  You  don't  seem  old.  I  like  you  more 
than  I  can  say,  but  I  am  made  so  strangely  I 
don't  seem  able  to  really  love  any  one  as  I  feel 
one  should  to  marry." 

The  man  rose.     He  took  her  hands  in  his. 

"  Good-by ;  don't  take  it  to  heart,"  he  said, 
as  he  bent  over  her.  "  You  are  not  at  all  to 
blame,  unless  being  so  dear  is  a  fault.  God 
grant  you  all  happiness." 

Virginia  sat  motionless  after  he  left.  Then 
she  ran  up-stairs  to  her  room.  Marcelle  was 


A  Chapter  of  Surprises  237 

there  alone.  She  looked  startled  at  the  expres- 
sion on  her  friend's  face. 

"  Marcelle,"  Virginia  said,  "  let  us  go  far 
away  to  a  desert  where  I  shall  never  have  a 
chance  again  to  hurt  a  good,  fine  man.  I'm 
a  bad,  horrid  girl !  " 

She  threw  herself  down  on  the  bed  and  gave 
way  to  an  emotion  so  strong,  so  rare,  that  Mar- 
celle was  frightened.  She  felt  that  words  were 
useless,  but  she  lay  beside  Virginia  and  held 
her  hand  in  silent  but  real  sympathy,  until  the 
storm  was  over. 

Then  they  went  to  bed,  but  Virginia  could 
not  sleep. 

The  next  day  they  sailed  for  Cherbourg. 
They  felt  that  the  voyage  would  be  restful  and 
quieting  after  their  busy  months.  Several  of 
the  friends  they  had  made  were  at  the  wharf 
to  see  them  off.  Their  stateroom  was  full  of 
flowers  and  books.  A  big  cluster  of  white 
violets  for  Virginia  was  without  a  name  but 
she  knew  the  handwriting.  Nothing  more  was 
said  on  the  subject  between  the  girls  of  the  eve- 


238  The  Violin  Lady 

ning  before.  Marcelle,  with  a  tact  and  feeling 
she  was  learning  from  her  friend,  exerted  her- 
self to  exploit  plans  for  their  future. 

They  reached  Cherbourg  before  dark  and 
took  the  train  for  "  the  beautiful  city,"  as  the 
Violin  Lady  called  Paris. 

"I  love  London;  I  adore  Paris,"  she  de- 
clared. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A    CHRONICLE   OF   REVELATIONS 

THE  girls  were  unable  to  secure  their  old 
rooms  at  Madame  Victoire's,  but  they 
found  a  pleasant  suite  on  the  Rue  des 
Petits  Champs.  One  of  the  first  things  Vir- 
ginia did  after  seeing  Aunt  Henrietta  was  to 
go  to  Camondreau's  studio  to  obtain  his  opinion 
of  her  new  composition.  She  was  aware  that 
he  would  be  perfectly  candid  in  expressing  him- 
self whether  for  or  against.  She  hardly  knew 
how  she  had  composed  it  with  so  many  distrac- 
tions and  interruptions;  but  it  had  insistently 
demanded  expression  —  it  seemed  as  if  it  must 
be  born.  She  felt  rather  like  a  little  girl  again 
as  she  found  herself  at  the  entrance  to  the 
maestro's  studio.  She  had  telephoned  before- 
hand, of  course.  The  comical-looking  "  but- 
tons "  ushered  her  in  with  low  bows  and  aston- 
ishing gestures. 


240  The  Violin  Lady 

The  maestro  ran  forward  and  took  her  hands 
in  his.  His  fine  old  face  worked  with  emotion. 

"  I  have  followed  my  gifted  pupil,  and  my 
heart  beat  to  suffocation  with  pride  in  your 
success.  I  predicted  it  from  the  first.  Paula 
knew  it,  and  it  has  come !  Gyerson,  the  great- 
est violinist  in  Denmark,  heard  you  in  London. 
He  says  you  have  something  he  cannot  fathom. 
He  can  attain  your  technique  but  not  this 
other.  He  told  me  he  shed  tears  over  your 
rendering  of  Handel's  '  Sonate  A  Major/  and 
Tschaikowsky's  '  Melodic  and  Scherzo/  op. 
42,  and  Klein's  '  Intermezzo.'  He  could  not 
sleep  after  hearing  you.  He  is  so  excitable,  is 
Gyerson,  but  he  is  a  great  performer,  not  per- 
haps a  genius  but  close  to  it." 

As  soon,  however,  as  Virginia  took  out  her 
violin  to  play  a  change  came  over  the  master. 
He  settled  back  in  his  chair,  his  face  lost  its 
enthusiasm.  He  was  the  judge,  the  critic. 

"  I  must  overcome  my  fear,"  thought  the 
girl,  "  or  I  shan't  do  myself  justice.  He 
must  like  it." 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         241 

"  I  call  it  '  The  Conqueror/  "  she  said,  in  a 
voice  she  strove  to  make  perfectly  calm  and 
ordinary.  She  began,  and,  as  she  went  on,  as 
usual  forgot  everything  in  the  delight  of  a 
creator. 

The  Conqueror  first  comes  as  a  warrior: 
countries  fall  before  him.  The  violin  portrays 
the  din  of  battle,  the  blare  of  trumpets,  the  suc- 
cess of  the  man  of  action.  Then  comes  de- 
feat. The  instrument  pictures  the  dead  and 
wounded,  and  then  the  requiem,  solemn,  impres- 
sive. Again  the  Conqueror  comes,  this  time 
as  a  man  of  fame  and  genius.  The  air  is  less 
martial  than  the  first,  quieter  yet  swelling, 
triumphant.  Then  a  new  air  comes  in,  less 
victorious;  gradually  it  becomes  lower  and 
lower  until  it  dies  out.  Fame  perishes. 

Third  comes  Love  the  Conqueror,  and  here 
Virginia  had  created  a  most  exquisite  air.  It 
wooed,  it  soothed,  it  won.  All  obstacles  go 
down  before  it.  The  last  enemy  is  death,  but 
Love  triumphs  even  over  that,  for  Love  is  eter- 
nal. 


242  The  Violin  Lady 

Camondreau  sat  as  if  in  a  dream  listening. 
When  it  was  over  he  said  simply :  "  That  is 
a  masterpiece;  that  will  live." 

By  the  third  of  June  the  artists  from  out  of 
town  arrived.  There  was  Von  Himmel,  the 
German  baritone,  Madame  Elson,  the  Swedish 
contralto,  Marini,  the  Italian  tenor,  Fraulein 
Schurman,  the  German  soprano,  besides 
Etienne,  pianist,  Virginia  and  Camondreau 
violinists,  and  Marcelle. 

The  Theatre  du  Chatelet  was  given  up  to 
the  concerts,  one  afternoon  and  evening. 
Although  concerts  are  usually  held  during  Lent 
in  Paris,  the  cause  and  the  fame  of  the  soloists 
created  a  perfect  furore  for  tickets,  which  were 
sold  at  exorbitant  prices. 

Virginia  and  Marcelle  had  had  lace  dresses 
made  in  London  for  the  occasion:  Marcelle's 
was  of  an  exquisite  new  yellow  shade  and  Vir- 
ginia's of  white,  covered  with  lace  of  a  pale 
pink  like  the  inside  of  a  sea-shell.  They  both 
appeared  in  the  afternoon  and  evening.  It 
was  at  the  afternoon  session  that  Virginia 


'THAT  is  A  MASTERPIECE;    THAT  WILL  LIVE'" 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         243 

played  "  The  Conqueror."  She  was  not  pre- 
pared for  its  reception.  There  was  that  breath- 
less pause  always  a  subtle  compliment  to  the 
musician,  then  a  storm  of  applause  and  cries 
of  "  Encore,  encore,  bravo !  "  over  and  over. 
Virginia,  very  pale,  played  part  of  it  again. 

Then  Marcelle  sang.  She,  who  was  usually 
pale,  was  now  flushed.  Virginia  listened 
amazed.  There  was  a  new  tone  to  her  hitherto 
perfect  but  often  rather  cold  rendition.  It  was 
the  one  thing  hitherto  lacking.  The  German 
soprano  paled  beside  this  new  vitalized  voice. 
She  sang  Verdi's  aria  from  La  Traviata,  "  Ah 
fors  e  lui,"  and,  as  an  encore,  a  quaint  old 
Danish  folk-song,  "  Marstig's  Daughter." 

There  was  a  little  informal  reception  after 
the  affair.  Many  came  up  to  congratulate  the 
artists,  and  to  be  introduced.  There  were  Doc- 
tor de  Thevenau  and  his  wife,  eager  and  proud ; 
Aunt  Henrietta,  dressed  in  the  height  of  fash- 
ion, animated,  vivacious,  and,  for  the  first  time, 
seeming  to  realize  that  her  niece  was  a  great 
artist. 


244  The  Violin  Lady 

As  Virginia  looked  over  the  many  strange 
faces  she  saw  one  which  made  her  literally 
catch  her  breath :  it  was  a  man's  face,  and  the 
most  beautiful  one  she  had  ever  seen.  The 
blond  hair  was  short  but  wavy  where  it  had  a 
chance,  the  head  perfectly  shaped,  well  set,  the 
eyes  unlike  any  in  the  world.  They  held  you 
as  if  unconsciously,  with  a  wonderful  expres- 
sion, half  tender,  half  appealing.  She  hardly 
knew  the  color ;  if  they  were  blue  they  were  the 
darkest  she  had  ever  seen.  The  face  might 
have  been  effeminate  perhaps  if  it  were  not  for 
the  mouth  and  chin  which  were  strong  with  a 
hint  of  sternness.  He  seemed  to  be  coming 
directly  towards  her  with  a  smile  which  sud- 
denly irradiated  his  whole  face.  He  held  out 
his  hands,  and  Marcelle,  a  little  behind  her, 
gave  him  hers. 

"  I  saw  you  while  I  sang;  I  never  dreamed 
you  would  come." 

"  I  wasn't  certain  till  the  last,"  he  answered, 
"  but  I  ran  off.  I  couldn't  miss  such  a  thing 
as  this," 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         245 

Then  Marcelle  seemed  to  remember  where 
she  was.  "  This  is  my  friend  of  whom  you 
have  heard  so  much;  Miss  Hammond,  Doctor 
Hensen."  Then  some  one  claimed  Virginia's 
attention.  It  was  all  a  jumble  afterwards. 
Before  the  evening  performance  the  girls 
rested  and  had  a  light  supper;  then  Virginia 
thought  of  nothing  but  that  she  must  play  after 
Camondreau.  She  had  not  felt  any  fear  in 
London;  she  had  grown  perfectly  self-con- 
tained, or  rather  free  from  any  self-conscious- 
ness. She  supposed  she  was  cured,  but  to- 
night she  felt  as  if  she  never  could  play  De 
Beriot's  "  Concerto." 

Marcelle  sang  as  she  had  in  the  afternoon. 
She  had  selected  an  aria  from  Puccini's 
Madame  Butterfly,  "  Urs  Bel  Di."  As  she 
listened,  Virginia  forgot  herself  for  the  time, 
then  as  she  came  forward,  amid  thunderous  ap- 
plause, she  felt  as  if  she  could  not  go  on.  She 
took  up  her  bow  and  tuned  the  violin  with  hands 
that  trembled.  Etienne  struck  the  first  chord 
of  the  accompaniment  with  his  masterly  touch 


246  The  Violin  Lady 

and  at  once  Virginia  seemed  to  feel  lifted  out 
of  herself  and  free  as  air.  And  then  a  strange 
thing  happened.  As  she  stood  there,  erect, 
graceful,  absorbed,  before  that  vast  listening 
throng,  she  forgot  Camondreau,  forgot  her- 
self, every  one,  for  suddenly  there  before  her 
as  if  in  the  flesh  she  saw  two  men :  one,  a  tall 
giant  of  a  fellow  with  a  plain,  strong,  clean 
face,  and  eyes  that  held  hers  as  if  they  would 
never  let  them  go ;  and  another,  blond,  slender, 
handsome,  smiling.  She  watched  them  fasci- 
nated and  played  on  and  on.  And,  as  she 
played,  the  words  sang  in  her  heart  to  an  ac- 
companiment of  the  air  she  played:  "Why, 
it's  Alan  I  love ;  he  is  the  man  that  I've  waited 
for  all  these  years.  How  blind  I've  been! 
Poor  Captain  Bertie !  Alan,  Alan,  I  love  you. 
I  love  you,  I  ...  love  .  .  .  you ! " 

The  figures  vanished,  and  she  was  aware 
that  she  was  standing  there  playing  with  all  her 
soul  and  heart  and  mind.  She  ended  amid  a 
silence  so  perfect  that  it  was  almost  painful; 
then  it  seemed  as  if  the  applause  would  never 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         247 

end.  Virginia  felt  that  she  could  not  play 
again,  but  they  would  not  let  her  off.  She  de- 
cided suddenly  to  give  the  last  of  "  The  Con- 
queror "  alone.  The  King  of  Love  had  come 
to  her.  She  would  celebrate  it.  She  felt  a 
strange  exaltation;  her  spirit  seemed  to  reach 
across  the  ocean.  What  was  space  before  such 
love  as  hers  ? 

Somehow  the  evening  passed.  Virginia 
knew  that  she  met  people,  that  Camondreau 
told  her  in  his  proud,  triumphant  voice :  "  I 
shall  not  be  here  long,  but  I  shall  leave  a  pupil 
behind  greater  than  Paula.  I  have  not  lived 
for  nothing  " ;  but  nothing  seemed  real. 
•  Doctor  de  Thevenau  took  them  home  in  his 
car.  Marcelle's  friend  was  staying  with  him 
and  was  in  the  car  with  them.  Virginia  was 
suddenly  aware  of  how  terribly  tired  she  was. 

Before  she  threw  herself  on  the  bed  she 
said :  "  Marcelle,  you've  found  the  only  thing 
your  voice  lacked;  it  is  soul." 

"  I  thought  you  couldn't  play  better,  but  to- 
night —  oh,  Virginia,  but  I  was  proud  of  you, 


248  The  Violin  Lady 

dear.     You   should   have   heard  how   people 
raved  over  you !  " 

Then  Virginia  slept  soundly. 

When  she  wakened  next  day  she  looked  at 
the  little  clock  in  amazement.  It  was  nearly 
noon,  and  Marcelle's  bed  was  empty  and  made 
up.  She  was  gone. 

Virginia  dressed  and  waited  for  Marcelle's 
return  before  going  out  to  lunch.  The  door 
swung  back  and  Marcelle  came  in  dressed  for 
the  street.  But  the  face  was  not  Marcelle's. 
It  was  transformed  with  a  light  such  as  had 
so  changed  Doctor  de  Thevenau's.  Virginia 
stared. 

"  What  is  the  matter?  "  Marcelle  asked,  ar- 
rested by  the  look. 

"  You  .  .  .  you  have  found  it,  too !  " 

"What,  Virginia?" 

"  Love." 

"  How  did  you  know  ?  Oh,  my  dear,  let  us 
have  lunch  somewhere  near.  Then,  when  we 
come  back,  I  shall  tell  you  all." 

During  lunch  Marcelle's  face  still  held  the 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         249 

look.  She  ate  absently  and  left  much  of  her 
food  untasted. 

After  they  came  back  home  Virginia  said 
gently :  "  I'm  so  glad,  Marcelle.  He  is 
wonderful.  How  long  have  you  been  engaged, 
and  why  didn't  you  tell  me  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  betrothed,  and  never  shall  be,  Vir- 
ginia. That  is  why  I  didn't  tell  you  before. 
But  nothing  can  take  this  wonderful  thing  from 
us  both,  Conrad  says,  as  long  as  life  lasts." 

"  But  I  don't  understand,"  Virginia  mur- 
mured in  a  puzzled  tone. 

She  looked  at  Marcelle.  The  girl's  eyes  met 
hers  with  the  light  suddenly  overcast.  "  Con- 
rad is  married,"  she  said;  "his  wife  has  been 
hopelessly  insane  for  years.  I  couldn't  talk 
about  it  to  any  one  but  you,  Virginia.  I 
couldn't  before,  even  to  you,  but  I  want  to  now, 
and  Conrad  is  willing. 

"  It  was  in  Berlin  that  I  first  met  him  a  few 
months  after  I  went  there.  A  friend  of  mine 
—  a  French  student  —  was  in  the  hospital  very 
ill.  I  went  to  see  her  and  there  I  met  the 


250  The  Violin  Lady 

young  Danish  doctor  people  were  talking  about, 
Conrad  Hensen.  Hortense  was  very  ill  many 
weeks,  and  I  went  often  to  see  her.  I  met  the 
doctor  many  times.  He  was  very  fond  of 
music  and  played  the  flute.  He  asked  if  he 
might  call.  He  was  overworked  and  lonely. 
The  second  time  he  came  he  told  me  of  his  wife. 
'  I  am  married,  yet  I  have  no  joys  or  compan- 
ionship of  the  married.  I  feel  that  you  will 
let  me  be  your  friend.  You  are  alone,  so  am 
I,'  he  said.  We  never  mentioned  or  hinted  at 
love.  We  talked  of  books,  and  on  various  other 
topics.  I  sang  for  him.  He  sometimes  accom- 
panied me  on  his  flute.  We  both  grew  to  look 
forward  to  his  visits.  Often  they  were  but 
once  a  week,  he  was  so  busy.  I  was  glad  and 
proud  to  have  such  a  friendship.  I  felt  that  it 
meant  much  to  both  of  us.  We  felt  that  noth- 
ing but  friendship  was  possible  for  us. 

"  His  aunt,  who  kept  house  for  him,  came  to 
see  me.  She  had  had  few  advantages  in  her 
youth,  but  was  a  kindly,  capable  woman.  Her 
idol  was  Conrad.  She  cried  when  she  talked 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         251 

of  him.  '  I've  known  him  since  his  mother 
died  long  ago,'  she  burst  forth ; '  his  father  was 
a  dreamer;  he  let  Conrad  drift  from  one  rela- 
tive to  another.  Then  his  mother's  brother 
came  to  Copenhagen  to  live,  rich  and  childless. 
He  took  a  fancy  to  Conrad,  as  who  wouldn't? 
He  found  out  the  boy's  passion  for  medical 
science  and  had  him  go  to  Berlin.  On  his 
visits  home  the  girls  were  very  fond  of  him. 
Gerda  Heist  was  the  prettiest  girl,  and  she  and 
her  people  left  nothing  undone  to  make  Conrad 
marry  her.  I  saw  it  all,  but  what  could  I  do? 
The  little  I  said  he  thought  I  had  listened  to 
idle  tongues  and  misjudged  her.  She  was  a 
dear  if  rather  spoiled  child,  in  his  opinion. 
After  the  marriage  she  refused  to  go  to  Berlin, 
where  Conrad  had  a  fine  opening.  So  he 
stayed  in  Copenhagen.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  poor  boy's  eyes  were  opened.  She  was  a 
terrible  woman,  and  much  older  than  Conrad. 
He  bore  it  for  three  years,  and  then  she  went 
insane,  and  had  to  be  confined.  They  never 
told  Conrad  that  her  father  and  grandfather 


252  The  Violin  Lady 

died  in  a  mad  house.  There  is  no  hope,  but 
Conrad  says  she  may  possibly  be  restored ;  and, 
anyhow,  the  law  would  not  free  him.  I  can- 
not be  reconciled  to  it.  You  are  his  friend.  I 
felt  I  must  tell  you,  for  he  never  would.  He 
has  such  exalted  ideas  of  loyalty.  They  say 
some  marriages  are  made  in  heaven;  what  of 
those  made  in  the  other  place  ?  Why  must  my 
fine  boy's  life  be  ruined  ?  Why  should  he  have 
been  mated  to  a  termagant,  a  vain,  uncontrolled, 
silly  woman  ?  God  have  mercy  on  us ! '  So 
she  ran  on,  and  I,  as  I  listened,  felt  so  bitterly 
sorry  for  him.  I  suppose  I  should  never  have 
permitted  the  friendship.  I've  always  blamed 
women  who  were  at  all  intimate  with  married 
men;  but  this  seemed  different.  If  Conrad  had 
not  been  the  man  he  is  I'm  sure  I  should  have 
refused  to  have  him  call;  but  being  with 
him  I  grew  more  and  more  to  feel  perfect  trust 
in  and  respect  for  him.  In  fact,  for  months 
I  never  thought  of  anything  but  the  pleasure 
and  companionship  he  brought  into  my  life. 
Then  I  came  here.  We  were  to  correspond. 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         253 

He  never  said  or  wrote  a  word  of  love  until 
this  morning.  He  said  he  must  see  me  before 
he  left.  We  went  to  Versailles  early,  and  he 
told  me  that  after  I  left  he  knew  he  cared  for 
me  as  he  never  had  cared  for  any  one.  I  told 
him  that  I  was  sure  I  loved  him  in  Berlin  the 
first  time  I  was  there.  We  talked  hours  and 
then  we  parted.  Conrad  doesn't  think  we 
ought  to  write  or  meet.  He  feels  that  he  owes 
it  to  his  wife.  He  begged  me  to  forgive  him 
for  his  weakness  in  coming;  but  I  wouldn't  let 
him  go  on.  I  told  him  that  he  had  given  me  the 
greatest  happiness  of  my  life,  something  that, 
as  he  said,  even  death  could  never  take  from 
me.  He  is  gone." 

"  Marcelle,  it  isn't  right;  is  there  no  way  out? 
Can't  he  get  a  divorce  ?  " 

"  No,  and  I  doubt  if  he  would.  He  seems 
to  feel  that  he  must  be  all  the  more  loyal  to  his 
wife  because  of  her  helplessness  and  because  he 
doesn't  love  her.  He  says  that  his  vows  bind 
him  for  better,  for  worse.  Then  he  has  known 
of  a  few  cured,  some  temporary,  one  perma- 


254  The  Violin  Lady 

ment,  and  he  can't  see  his  way  clear  to  do  any- 
thing but  this.  The  more  his  love  for  me  draws 
him  away  from  her,  the  more  he  resists." 

"And  you?" 

"  Well,  Virginia,  I  am  not  as  strong  nor  as 
good  as  Conrad;  and  women,  when  they  love 
as  I  do,  give  their  all.  Yet  I  could  not  and 
would  not  say  one  word  to  tempt  him.  I  have 
too  much  respect  for  his  conscience.  It  fairly 
hurt  me  physically,  I  made  such  an  effort  to 
keep  back  the  prayer  that  rose  to  my  lips  to 
take  me.  No,  we  must  bear  it  and  live  far 
apart.  Yet  I  would  much  rather  have  what 
I  have  than  never  to  have  known  Conrad. 
There  is  much  in  life  still  for  both  of  us,  and 
we  must  make  good.  There  will  be  days  when 
I  don't  feel  this  way,  I  know,  but  I  shall  over- 
come in  the  end.  There  are  some  things 
worse,  Virginia,  than  renunciation,  I  find." 

The  Violin  Lady  looked  at  her  friend  in 
secret  wonder.  She  had  always  felt  that  if 
the  strange  experience  came  Marcelle  would 
take  it  most  seriously.  Yet  now  that  it  had 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         255 

come  she  felt  it  almost  impossible  to  believe. 
Marcelle  had  seemed  immune;  and  now  when 
this  beautiful  thing  had  come  into  the  lives  of 
both  the  girl  and  her  lover,  they  had  to  put  it 
away  as  a  forbidden  gift.  And  why?  Be- 
cause of  a  woman  who  was  most  unworthy,  who 
had  made  life  a  series  of  maddening  acts,  and 
had  finally  become  a  wreck,  a  creature  unable 
to  understand  or  know,  one  whom  the  alienists 
pronounced  incurable.  And  it  had  come  to 
Marcelle  of  all  others:  Marcelle,  whose  life 
had  lacked  so  much,  who,  Virginia  hoped,  might 
have  a  shower  of  happiness  and  domestic  joys 
like  other  women.  Yet  there  she  sat  actually 
rejoicing  that  this  love  had  come  into  her  heart, 
which,  if  she  had  not  mocked,  she  certainly  had 
not  sought.  Virginia  resented  it  all.  She  felt 
that  the  times  were  out  of  joint,  that  she  could 
not  stand  idly  by  and  do  nothing  to  change 
destiny,  for  the  girl  before  her. 

"  Conrad's  a  wonderful  man,"  Marcelle  the 
reticent  was  saying ;  "  he  is  not  only  good  but 
strong.  He  is  so  understanding,  like  a  woman. 


256  The  Violin  Lady 

I  don't  wonder  that  the  sick  children  love  him. 
The  nurses  at  the  hospital  say  that  his  person- 
ality does  more  than  his  remedies  to  effect  his 
marvelous  cures.  He  has  such  an  admiration 
for  America.  He  longs  to  go  there,  but  he 
feels  that  he  must  not  desert  his  wife.  He 
says  our  love  is  not  a  sin  so  long  as  we  do  not 
allow  it  to  be  one;  and  that  it  may  prove  a 
benediction,  an  incentive  to  higher  things.  He 
made  me  feel  so  too.  He  always  makes  me 
feel,  when  I  am  with  him,  that  I  can  do  any- 
thing, or  bear  anything." 

Virginia  was  silent.  She  felt  that  Marcelle 
wanted  a  sympathetic  listener  as  she  slowly 
poured  out  her  pent-up  feelings,  not  words, 
which,  after  all,  must  be  inadequate. 

"  Doctor  de  Thevenau  thinks  him  far  above 
the  ordinary  in  his  profession,"  the  girl  went 
on  in  her  new,  eager  voice ;  "  he  says  among 
medical  men  he  is  regarded  as  a  rising  man. 
And,  just  think,  Virginia,  I  am  an  incentive  and 
help  to  a  man  like  that!  I  can't  comprehend 
it ! "  At  last  she  rose.  "  I  must  go  to  see 


A  Chronicle  of  Revelations         257 

Madame  de  Thevenau,  I  promised  her.  Some- 
thing about  investing  my  money  more  satisfac- 
torily, I  believe.  You  have  been  so  good,  Vir- 
ginia, to  listen  to  me.  I  could  not  talk  so  to 
any  one  else,  but  you  won't  be  bothered  again." 

Virginia  came  swiftly  towards  Marcelle  and 
put  her  arms  about  her.  She  said  nothing. 

"  Don't  feel  so  distressed  over  me,  Jinny, 
dear.  It  might  be  so  much  worse.  Good-by, 
I  shall  be  back  for  dinner."  And  Marcelle  was 
gone. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE   LITTLE   GOD    IN  AMERICA 

VIRGINIA  had  been  so  engrossed  with 
Marcelle's  unexpected  confession  that 
she  had  not  had  time  to  think  of  her- 
self. The  second  day  her  exaltation  had  fallen 
from  her.  Alan  belonged  to  another.  He 
never  had  cared  that  way  for  her,  and  here  she 
had  given  him  her  love  unsought  and  undesired. 
It  was  worse  in  a  way  than  Marcelle's  experi- 
ence: that  is,  more  humiliating. 

In  their  morning's  mail  the  girls  found  let- 
ters from  a  manager  at  the  Hague  wanting 
them  to  give  a  series  of  three  recitals  there, 
open  air  affairs.  His  offer  was  way  beyond 
what  they  had  heretofore  received. 

"  Virginia,  we  are  at  last  making  our  for- 
tunes, I  do  believe !  "  Marcelle  declared.  "  Of 
course  we  will  go." 

"  And  Camondreau  is  anxious  for  us  to  give 

258 


Tlie  Little  God  in  America        259 

a  concert  with  a  friend  of  his  in  the  fall.  He 
says  this  friend  wants  to  arrange  with  us  later 
for  a  tour  in  Denmark  and  Scandinavia."  Vir- 
ginia did  not  speak  with  her  usual  eager  enthu- 
siasm. Marcelle's  keen  eyes  noted  the  change. 

"  The  Violin  Lady  is  tired ;  she  has  drawn 
too  much  on  her  vitality,  and,  unusual  as  it  is, 
it  is  not  infallible,"  she  thought.  "  She  needs 
a  change." 

"Why,  here  is  a  letter  from  Elizabeth!" 
Virginia  exclaimed.  "  She  hasn't  written  for 
some  time." 

She  tore  it  open  and  read  the  long  epistle. 

"  I've  been  quite  remiss,  dear  Virginia, 
but  perhaps  when  you  read  what  follows 
you'll  find  it  in  your  heart  to  forgive  me. 

"First,  I  must  tell  you  of  Thee's  wedding  the 
last  of  May.  I  selected  the  picture  you  asked 
me  to  get  for  them  —  Hopkinson  Smith's  lovely 
water  color  —  and  they  were  delighted  with  it, 
as  well  they  might  be.  The  McPherson  house 
looked  so  pretty  with  flowers,  mostly  from  the 


260  The  Violin  Lady 

woods.  We  brought  Thee's  old  rector,  Mr. 
Oliver,  to  marry  them.  Grace  looked  lovely  in 
her  white  messaline  and  veil  of  exquisite  old 
lace  which  had  been  her  mother's  and  grand- 
mother's. It  was  all  simple  and  informal  and 
just  suited  Thee.  He  says  folderols  and  dew- 
dabs  are  all  right  for  common,  ordinary  wed- 
dings, but  not  for  weddings.  He  is  so  hand- 
some and  fine,  Virginia  —  I  hope  you  don't 
mind  this  sisterly  outburst!  —  He  confided  to 
me  that  Grace  was  a  tearing  beauty,  but  what 
he  especially  liked  about  her  was  her  good  sense 
and  even  disposition.  He  smiled  so  much  that 
I  wondered  if  his  mouth  would  ever  get  back 
to  normal.  A  friend  of  Grace's,  with  a  very 
sweet  voice,  sang  '  Oh,  Promise  Me.'  Lucinda 
was  hovering  in  the  background.  She  made 
all  the  cakes,  and  they  were  the  best  ever.  She 
told  me  plainly  that  my  brother  ought  to  have 
married  you,  only  she  rather  preferred  Alan, 
'  though  Mr.  Jordan  is  a  looker,'  she  concluded. 
Poor  Lucinda!  she  is  heartsick  and  homesick 
for  you,  Virginia,  as  indeed  we  all  are  \  Your 


The  Little  God  in  America         261 

father  and  mother  were  there,  of  course.  I 
don't  believe  '  Ma '  ever  will  grow  old.  She 
wore  a  new  dark  blue  net  and  your  laces.  Bob 
and  Janet  helped.  Janet  is  so  capable,  a  real 
little  woman.  Father  and  Mother  gave  the 
children  —  Thee  and  Grace  laugh  over  that 
phrase!  —  a  big  check,  and  the  McPhersons 
ditto.  Mother  and  I  gave  them  a  stack  of  table 
linen  —  some  I  embroidered.  Your  family 
together  gave  a  case  of  silver  forks;  friends 
brought  and  sent  the  usual  cut  glass  and  silver. 
Thee's  gift  to  the  bride  was  the  oddest  neck- 
lace and  pendant.  But,  best  of  all,  he  has  an 
excellent  housekeeper,  a  real  treasure.  Grace 
may  not  realize  it,  but  while  husbands  are  a 
drug  on  the  market,  cooks  are  as  rare  as 
Tiffany's  best  diamonds.  They're  to  take  only 
a  short  trip  —  the  Jordans  not  the  diamonds 
—  as  Thee  is  needed  at  the  ranch,  Grace  told 
me.  She  also  said  that  the  only  thing  lacking 
at  the  big  event  was  her  darling  Jinny. 

"  I  suppose  you  think  this  is  enough  on  the 
important  subject  of  Cupid's  doings, —  you  who 


262  The  Violin  Lady 

are  to  be  a  celibate  always  on  account  of  your 
superior  violin!  But  alas,  my  dear,  your  old 
'Lizbeth  has  succumbed  also  to  the  fell  de- 
stroyer —  or  is  that  expression  used  for  some- 
thing very  different  ?  '  To  cut  it  in  short/  as 
Lucinda  says  when  she  is  starting  in  on  a  long 
discourse,  my  engagement  to  Professor  Can- 
field  is  to  be  announced  next  week.  I  met  him 
when  I  was  East  with  Mother  and  saw  con- 
siderable of  him ;  but  he  declares  he  fell  in  love 
with  me  long  ago  when  we  were  on  the  steamer 
going  to  Paris  and  he  watched  me  striking  that 
ridiculous  attitude  and  quoting  Shakespeare. 
I  didn't  know  how  much  I  cared  till  I  came 
home.  He  is  to  be  here  to-morrow.  To  think 
of  'Lizbeth  Jordan  marrying  a  learned  pro- 
fessor of  English  instead  of  the  circus  clown 
you  once  predicted  I  would  choose,  because  I 
must  have  some  one  to  make  me  laugh ! 

"  And  before  I  forget  it  I  must  tell  you  about 
Raoul  the  Aristocrat.  I  laughed  when  you 
warned  me  that  he  would  make  trouble  for  me 
and  that  you  did  not  trust  him.  Then  came  the 


The  Little  God  in  America         263 

episode  connected  with  Alec  Forbes.  I  sup- 
posed that  ended  it,  but  I  didn't  know  Raoul. 
Professor  Canfield's  cousin,  Helen  Mallory, 
spent  several  months  in  Paris.  She  corre- 
sponds with  Mr.  Canfield,  and  in  one  of  her  last 
letters  she  wrote :  '  You  often  mention  your 
friend,  Miss  Elizabeth  Jordan.  The  other  day 
I  casually  mentioned  her  to  a  Frenchman  I  met 
at  dinner,  M.  Raoul  D'Artois.  At  once  he 
looked  so  strangely.  "  When  did  you  hear 
from  her  ?  "  he  asked.  "  I  do  not  know  her. 
She  is  a  friend  of  my  cousin,  Professor  Can- 
field,  and  he  writes  that  she  spent  a  year  here ; 
I  thought  you  might  have  met  her." 

"  '  "  And  is  your  cousin  interested  in  her?  " 
he  asked  quickly. 

"  '  "  It  looks  that  way,"  I  laughed,  as  I  said 
it  in  my  halting  French. 

"  '  "  The  reason  I  ask,"  he  went  on  so  rapidly 
I  could  hardly  understand  him,  "  is  that  I  am 
glad  to  hear  she  is  alive.  I  suppose  your  cousin 
knows  that  she  has  tuberculosis.  I  knew  her 
well  when  here.  She  gave  for  an  excuse  that 


264  The  Violin  Lady 

she  came  to  study  music  under  M.  Etienne, 
but  it  was  really  to  place  herself  under  the  care 
of  the  noted  Doctor  de  Thevenau.  He  pro- 
nounced her  hopeless.  It  is  a  matter  of  hered- 
ity. It  is  very  sad,  for  she  is  an  attractive  girl. 
I  don't  blame  her  for  wishing  to  keep  it  a 
secret." 

"  '  I  told  him  that  from  all  you  wrote  Miss 
Jordan  seemed  very  well  and  strong.  But  he 
only  shook  his  head  very  solemnly  as  he  said, 
"  She  always  looked  well." 

" '  He  is,  by  the  way/  she  added,  '  the  most 
diseased  egotist  I  ever  met.' 

"  Mr.  Canfield  only  repeated  this  to  me  after 
we  were  engaged,  for  he  said  that  whether  it 
were  true  or  not  I  was  the  only  woman  for  him, 
but  that  for  a  delicate  girl  I  certainly  could  do 
more  athletic  stunts  than  any  one  he  knew.  Of 
course  I  told  him  all  about  my  friend  Raoul. 
It  is  something  I  can't  comprehend,  such  petty 
malicious  spite;  but  I  could  forgive  it  more 
easily  if  he  had  been  bright  enough  to  have  in- 
vented a  cleverer  and  different  lie  for  the 


The  Little  God  in  America         265 

second.  But  poor  Raoul  doesn't  need  to  be 
clever;  he  has  blue  blood.  Pouf!  Vanish 
Monsieur ! 

"  Revenons  a  nos  moutons  —  I  must  air  my 
French  a  little  —  Monsieur  Canfield  is  nearly 
ten  years  my  senior  but  looks  as  young  as  I 
do.  I  don't  believe  he  is  handsome,  but  mother 
says  his  face  is  unusually  interesting  and  alive. 
He's  alive  all  right,  and  if  he  were  as  homely  as 
a  mud  fence  I'd  love  him  and  marry  him  and 
go  with  him  to  the  world's  end.  Fortunately 
I  don't  have  to,  for  he  has  accepted  a  position 
in  the  University  here  chiefly  that  I  may  be 
near  the  dear  home  folks.  We're  to  be  mar- 
ried in  September;  can't  you  be  my  maid  of 
honor?  That  would  complete  my  happiness 
already  overflowing.  Isn't  it  strange  how  we 
know?  Here  I  thought  for  a  very  short  time 
it  might  be  Alec  Forbes,  but  I  soon  found  it 
wasn't.  Ah,  Virginia,  we  used  to  smile  at  the 
little  god's  doings,  and  feel  that  we  could  afford 
to  turn  him  down,  but  when  our  turn  comes  we 
fall  as  completely  as  the  most  illiterate  scrub 


266  The  Violin  Lady 

woman   in   the   land.     Just   try   it   yourself. 

"We  are  all  very  proud  of  your  success, 
dearest  girl.  Lucinda  says  she  nearly  drops 
every  time  Mis'  Hammond  gits  a  letter  from 
you ;  she's  dead  sure  it's  to  say  you've  married 
a  prince  or  the  King  of  England,  and  that 
would  just  be  her  finish  when  you  could  have 
your  pick  of  good  solid  American  men  without 
any  handle  to  their  names !  I'm  scribbling  fast 
to  get  this  off  before  the  carrier  comes,  though 
I  might  go  on  forever. 

"  I  suppose  Alan  has  written  about  Gene- 
vieve.  He  is  not  well.  Father  says  he  works 
too  hard;  he  can't  hold  him  back.  And  then 
we  all  think  he  has  been  troubled  over  Gene- 
vieve,  though  he  is  so  reticent  in  some  things  we 
could  only  guess  and  wonder.  Thee  says  he  is 
almost  jealous,  father  thinks  so  much  of  him. 
"  Ever  thine, 

"  'LlZBETH. 

"  P.S.  His  name  is  Alexander,  and  you 
know  all  that  his  inferior  namesake  did !  Well, 
this  one  is  far  ahead  of  that  back  number !  " 


The  Little  God  in  America         267 

"  There's  only  Luanda  left  to  have  a  love 
affair !  "  Virginia  thought,  as  she  sat  there  too 
overcome  to  speak  aloud. 

"  You  must  have  had  cheering  news,  you 
look  so  solemn ! "  Marcelle  declared. 

"  It's  only  that  I'm  sort  of  dazed.  Elizabeth 
Jordan  is  to  marry  a  college  professor.  I  don't 
know  why  she  shouldn't,  or  why  one  is  ever  sur- 
prised over  anybody's  affairs  of  the  heart,  only 
I  am.  Well,  if  he  doesn't  get  down  on  his  knees 
to  her  every  day  I  will  know  the  reason  why; 
Elizabeth  is  too  dear  to  have  her  heart  broken," 
Virginia  declared  fiercely.  She  took  down  her 
violin  and  began  her  daily  practice,  but  all  the 
time  she  told  herself :  "  It's  coming  now, 
swift  and  sure.  Why  wasn't  Elizabeth  more 
explicit?  But  she  doesn't  think  it  necessary. 
Why  should  Alan  be  ill  now  of  all  times?  Yet 
he  never  did  know  when  to  stop  work.  Well, 
Genevieve  will  care  for  him,  but  I  don't  believe 
she  will  like  the  city.  I  do  hope  Alan's  letter 
will  come  soon.  I  detest  suspense.  If  it  must 
be,  I  want  to  know  it  beyond  all  doubt;  then 


268  The  Violin  Lady 

perhaps,  Jinny  Hammond,  you'll  have  shame 
or  pride  enough  to  cure  yourself  of  your 
malady."  But  in  her  heart  she  knew  that  it 
was  incurable.  Like  Miss  Van  Buren,  she  and 
her  violin  must  go  through  life  together,  and, 
for  the  first  time,  the  prospect  did  not  satisfy 
her. 

She  and  Marcelle  were  to  take  lunch  with 
Aunt  Henrietta  and  dinner  with  the  de  Theve- 
naus.  Aunt  Henrietta  gave  an  unfamiliar 
number,  asking  them  to  stop  for  her  there. 
When  they  arrived  at  a  handsome  house  near 
her  former  apartment,  a  stately  man  servant  in 
livery  ushered  them  into  a  beautifully  furnished 
room,  where  they  were  asked  to  wait. 
"  Rather  mysterious,"  Virginia  said  in  an  un- 
dertone. 

Then  Aunt  Henrietta  came  in,  wearing  a 
wonderful  creation  of  lavender  and  lace. 
"Ah,  my  dears,"  she  said,  "this  is  my  new 
home.  I  wanted  to  surprise  you,  Virginia. 
It  is  really  Alan  Kingsbury's  work.  He  cer- 
tainly has  a  wonderful  business  turn.  He  and 


The  Little  God  in  America         269 

Mr.  Jordan  invested  well  for  me  before,  but 
this  last  deal  is  Alan's,  and  it  has  made  me 
richer  than  ever  before.  And  I  want  to  say  to 
you  both  that  you  must  share  it  with  me  as 
long  or  whenever  you're  in  Paris." 

The  girls  explained  that  they  were  to  leave 
for  the  Hague  in  a  few  days,  but  nothing 
would  do  but  that  they  must  come  next  day  and 
stay  till  they  left. 

After  an  elegantly  appointed  lunch  they  went 
to  the  de  Thevenaus.  Virginia  was  glad  to 
learn  that  Heloise  had  gone  with  friends  on  a 
trip  to  Egypt. 

"  May  she  marry  and  stay  there ! "  mur- 
mured Marcelle  under  her  breath  when  Ma- 
dame had  left  the  room. 

Virginia  at  once  noticed  the  change  in  Ma- 
dame de  Thevenau.  Her  marriage  had  al- 
ready broadened  her  views  and  outlook  on  life. 
Her  Philippe  was  the  greatest  and  best  man 
in  the  world.  She  wished,  she  said,  that  the 
Due  thought  more  as  he  did.  He  even  refused 
to  come  to  the  wonderful  concert  given  to  help 


270  The  Violin  Lady 

the  desire  of  Philippe's  heart  because  his  niece 
was  to  appear  in  public  for  money.  "  Philippe 
says  my  brother  means  well,  but  he  is  of  the 
Middle  Ages.  He  would  be  so  much  happier 
in  the  marriage  state,  but  he  says  the  women 
nowadays  are  gone  mad;  that  he  demands  an 
outgrown,  obsolete  virtue  in  a  wife,  humility, 
the  truly  feminine." 

Virginia  noticed  that  for  the  first  time  Mar- 
celle  called  Madame  "  Tante." 

"  I  do  not  fear  the  dear  girl  any  longer.  She 
is  an  unusual  creature,  but  at  times  she  seems 
triste ;  is  it  not  so,  Virginia  ?  "  Madame  asked 
with  sympathy. 

The  two  went  to  Mrs.  Kirkland's,  and,  as 
Virginia  said,  were  steeped  in  the  lap  of  lux- 
ury until  they  left  for  the  Hague.  Before 
leaving,  Aunt  Henrietta  made  one  of  her  little 
prepared  speeches  to  her  niece :  "  My  dear 
Virginia,  I  am,  I  confess,  amazed  at  your  suc- 
cess. I  fear  we  haven't  always  recognized 
your  gift  " —  Aunt  Henrietta  used  the  "  we  " 
of  royalty  — "  but  I  am  very  proud  of  you. 


The  Little  God  in  America         271 

Now  that  I  am  once  more  on  the  top  wave  I 
shall  be  only  too  glad  to  launch  you  properly  in 
society.  There  is  no  position  that  you  might 
not  aspire  to;  and,  remember,  that  I  am  back 
of  you  always." 

"  You  are  very  kind/'  Virginia  replied,  "  and 
I  appreciate  it,  but,  dear  Aunt  Henrietta,  I 
must  work  out  my  own  salvation,  I  fear.  I 
owe  it  to  my  violin." 

Still  no  letter  from  Alan.  Virginia  alter- 
nately dreaded  and  longed  for  it.  Then  they 
were  off  for  the  Hague.  The  recitals  were 
a  success,  but  as  the  girls  did  not  speak  the 
language  they  found  themselves  rather  awk- 
ward in  spite  of  signs  and  the  use  of  a  timid 
and  stupid  interpreter.  They  decided  to  travel 
through  Holland.  They  were  tired,  and  Mar- 
celle  did  not  like  Virginia's  looks.  She  was  at 
times  as  lively  as  ever,  but  often  she  was  quiet 
and  subdued,  so  unlike  herself  that  her  friend 
worried.  Virginia  made  a  great  effort  to  put 
her  trouble  in  the  background. 

"  I  wonder  if  poor  Bertie  and  the  Honorable 


272  The  Violin  Lady 

Mr.  Fairfax  felt  as  I  do,"  she  thought;  "but 
men  are  different.  They  have  so  much  out- 
side; love  is  only  an  episode  in  their  lives. 
Think  how  thoroughly  Thee  got  over  his  fancy 
for  me,  though  I  suppose  two  years  spell  con- 
stancy to  a  mere  man." 

Virginia  had  written  Captain  Bertie  soon 
after  the  concert.  The  letter  was  brief  but  to 
the  point. 

"  You  wrote  once,  my  dear  friend,  that  when 
the  rival  in  the  flesh  appeared  you  would  re- 
tire. He  has  come,  and  I  feel  that  I  must  not 
delay  acquainting  you  with  the  fact,  much  as 
I  dislike  wounding  you.  I  blame  myself  for 
drifting  into  our  present  relationship.  I  am 
going  to  trust  you,  a  man  I  so  greatly  respect, 
with  my  secret.  I  care  for  some  one  who 
neither  cares  nor  will  ever  do  so  for  me;  but 
my  eyes  so  long  holden  have  been  opened,  and 
nobody  else  will  ever  satisfy  me." 

They  were  in  a  little  Dutch  village  when  his 
answer  came. 


The  Little  God  in  America         273 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,  dear  Miss  Hammond, 
how  your  confidence  touched  me.  I  respect  it 
and  trust  that  some  day  the  love  may  be  yours, 
for  I  really  care  most  of  all  for  your  happiness. 
Yet  to  me  it  seems  incredible  that  any  man 
knowing  you  should  not  put  you  above  all 
women.  Don't  blame  yourself.  I  overper- 
suaded  you,  and  your  goodness  of  heart  made 
you  yield.  Never  regret  it.  Your  letters  and 
interest  have  been  to  me  in  my  journeyings  the 
joy  of  life,  and  don't  let  yourself  feel  dis- 
tracted over  me,  my  dear  friend.  I  suppose 
Time  softens,  if  it  doesn't  heal,  all  wounds.  I 
must  take  my  medicine  like  a  man. 

"  With  the  most  earnest  wishes  for  your 
happy  future  already  so  prophetic  of  success 
and  fame, 

"  Yours  as  ever, 

"  ALBERT." 

After  reading  this  Virginia  was  very  sober. 
"  I  shall  miss  his  letters  like  everything.  I 
wonder  if  a  man  and  woman  can  ever  have  a 


274  The  Violin  Lady 

real  close  friendship  without  love  on  the  part 
of  one  spoiling  it.  I  thought  Alan  and  I  had 
proved  that  they  could  until  now.  Well,  Alan 
will  never  know  it,  and  I  shall  never  allow  an- 
other man  to  propose  to  me.  It's  too  nerve- 
racking,  even  if  he  does  get  over  it.  I  believe 
the  only  way,  however,  is  to  either  grow  old, 
die,  enter  a  convent,  or  marry." 

"Virginia,"  said  Marcelle  from  her  easy- 
chair,  where  she  was  writing  letters,  "  I  just 
remember  reading  somewhere  that  *  Often  our 
souls  need  bitter  tonics;  hence  misfortunes.' 
Do  you  think  it's  true  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  so,  but  I  wish  my  soul  and 
yours  never  needed  them ;  they're  often  so  very 
bitter.  I  never  could  bear  to  take  quinine ! " 
Virginia  said  childishly. 

"  Yet  think  what  we  have !  Two  years  ago, 
or  even  a  year,  we  never  dreamed  of  our  suc- 
cess!" 

"  Marcelle,  you  are  a  tonic  and  you  are  not 
bitter  to  take.  I'm  ashamed  of  myself.  I 
mean  to  brace  up." 


The  Little  God  in  America         275 

"  I  believe  you  are  tired  and  homesick,  Vir- 
ginia. There's  some  good  reason,  for  you  are 
naturally  brave  and  cheery." 

"  Well,  I  am  often  sick  for  home,  I  confess ; 
but  I  hardly  see  my  way  to  go  for  another 
year.  Then,  if  our  purses  are  fat,  we'll  be 
there  as  fast  as  steamer  can  carry  us." 

Virginia  picked  up  a  book,  determined  to  get 
interested  in  it.  She  lay  back  on  a  couch, 
thankful  that  she  need  not  hurry  or  work,  just 
rest.  Marcelle  had  gone  into  the  next  room. 
She  was  singing  as  she  moved  about.  Vir- 
ginia caught  the  words : 

"  But  all  the  time  the  heart  of  me, 
The  better,  sweeter  part  of  me, 
Was  sobbin'  for  the  robin 
In  the  fields  of  Ballyclare !  " 

And  then  later  on  came  the  words  in  her  clear 
enunciation : 

"  But  ah,  the  Irish  mind  of  me, 
(I  hope  'tis  not  unkind  of  me), 
Is  turn  in'  back  with  yearnin' 
To  the  fields  of  Ballyclare!" 


276  The  Violin  Lady 

"  Don't  let  us  sight-see  for  a  while ;  just  let 
us  go  to  little  out  of  the  way  places,"  Virginia 
had  begged. 

They  were  at  the  town  of  Schoenhoven,  and 
had  a  room  and  simple  but  good  meals  at  the 
home  of  a  Dutch  peasant,  a  widow,  Lisa 
Menorchen.  Virginia  was  looking  better  and 
was  evidently  striving  to  enjoy  life.  Marcelle 
was  cheerful  outwardly,  but  Virginia  some- 
times could  not  bear  the  look  in  her  eyes.  She 
never  spoke  of  Conrad  Hensen. 

"  Trouble  is  making  her  a  great  soul," 
Virginia  thought.  "  She  is  so  sweet  and 
patient.  It  goes  to  my  heart,  though,  and  I 
sometimes  wish  she  would  rail  and  cry  and 
give  way." 

They  had  decided  to  walk  through  the  vil- 
lage and  out  into  the  country.  The  children 
were  playing  on  the  streets,  as  they  do  always 
in  Holland.  Some  one  was  calling  behind 
them  and  the  girls  turned.  A  boy  waved  a 
paper.  Both  girls  went  white.  Was  it  a  har- 
binger of  weal  or  woe? 


The  Little  God  in  America         277 

It  was  addressed  to  Virginia,  and,  tearing  it 
open,  she  read  aloud: 

"  Alan  very  ill  at  my  home.     Come  at  once. 
"  HENRIETTA  KIRKLAND." 

"  Marcelle,  I  must  go  this  minute,"  Virginia 
said,  her  old  alert  self.  "  It  has  been  delayed 
somehow." 

"  Aren't  you  going  to  take  me,  too? "  Mar- 
celle asked. 

They  joined  hands  like  children  and  broke 
into  a  run.  An  hour  later  they  were  on  the 
way  Parisward. 

"But,  oh,  it  takes  so  long!"  thought  the 
girl.  Then  she  prayed  with  all  her  heart  that 
Alan  would  get  well,  or,  if  not,  that  she  might 
not  be  too  late. 

There  was  much  to  think  about  on  the  way. 
Was  Alan  on  his  wedding  trip  ?  But  if  Gene- 
vieve  were  with  him,  why  send  for  her?  It 
was  probably  Aunt  Henrietta  who  had  sent  the 
telegram  and  Alan  knew  nothing  about  it. 


278  The  Violin  Lady 

But  why  had  he  not  written  he  was  coming? 
She  could  not  imagine  Alan,  the  giant,  ill. 
What  could  it  be?  Well,  she  would  know  in 
time.  Meanwhile  patience,  courage. 


CHAPTER  XV 

ALAN 

THE  train  seemed  to  Virginia  to  be 
moving  at  a  snail's  pace,  then  there  was 
a  delay  of  two  hours.     It  was  mid- 
night when  the  girls  reached  Mrs.  Kirkland's. 
Aunt  Henrietta  was  up  and  waiting  for  them. 
She  looked  pale  and  old. 

"  He  is  very  ill,"  she  said.  "  I  sent  at  once 
for  my  physician,  Dr.  Devereux,  and  then  I 
became  so  frightened  that  I  asked  for  consulta- 
tion with  Dr.  de  Thevenau.  I  know  that  he  is 
a  surgeon  and  specialist,  but  he  agreed  to  come 
for  yours  and  Marcelle's  sakes.  Dr.  Devereux 
was  not  only  willing  but  eager  to  have  him 
called,  he  is  so  up  on  everything.  Alan  is  de- 
lirious all  the  time,  and  calls  constantly  for 
you.  Both  doctors  and  nurse  hope  that  your 
presence  may  quiet  him,  or  that  your  voice  may 

279 


280  The  Violin  Lady 

pierce  his  poor,  tortured  brain.  Why,  where 
are  you  going,  child  ?  " 

"  To  Alan,  of  course;  where  is  he?  "  The 
girl  was  already  up  the  stairs,  her  hat  and 
gloves  off. 

"  To  the  right,"  her  aunt  called  after  her. 

A  moment  more  and  she  was  in  a  large, 
plainly  furnished  room  with  a  low,  shaded 
light.  The  nurse  silently  led  her  to  the  bed. 
Virginia  thought  at  first  that  the  man  lying 
there  was  a  stranger;  he  was  so  changed 
from  the  big  athletic  fellow  she  knew  so 
well. 

"  It's  Virginia  I  want ;  I  tell  you  I  can't  wait 
forever.  I've  tried  to  be  fair,  but  it's  too 
much  to  expect  of  a  man.  I  just  want  to  see 
her;  I  promise  I  won't  say  a  word." 

"  I'm  here,  Alan ;  it's  Virginia.  I  came  as 
soon  as  I  could,"  she  said  gently. 

But  he  only  babbled  on.  She  sat  beside  him 
for  an  hour,  trying  every  now  and  then  to 
pierce  his  unconsciousness. 

"  It's  no  use,  I  fear,"  the  nurse  said  regret- 


Alan  281 

fully.  "  Go  and  rest,  Miss  Hammond,  and 
we'll  try  again  to-morrow." 

Virginia  went  to  her  room.  Her  aunt  was 
asleep.  Marcelle  was  awaiting  her  in  the  room 
adjoining. 

"  I  thought  you  would  like  to  hear  what  your 
aunt  told  me,"  she  said.  "  The  doctor,  Doc- 
tor de  Thevenau,  says  he  can  hardly  under- 
stand the  breakdown  in  such  a  finely  built, 
hearty  man.  It  is  overwork  undoubtedly,  but 
it's  something  more.  He  thinks  it  is  worry 
kept  to  himself.  He  asked  your  aunt  if  she 
knew  of  any,  and  she  said  she  hardly  thought 
he  had  any  troubles.  He  had  come  at  once  to 
see  her,  thinking  you  were  here.  He  didn't 
look  well,  but  his  manner  was  just  the  same, 
that  cordial,  friendly  way  he  has.  They  talked 
over  business  matters,  and  she  gave  him  your 
Holland  address.  He  said  he  would  try  and 
catch  the  train,  though  your  aunt  begged  him 
to  stay  to  lunch. 

"  He  rose  to  go,  then  put  his  hand  to  his 
head,  and  staggered, 


282  The  Violin  Lady 

"'I've  had  it  several  times/  he  said;  'I 
can't  — '  And  then  he  fell  over  on  the  floor. 

"  Mrs.  Kirkland  was  sure  he  was  dead.  She 
rang  for  the  servants,  sent  for  a  nurse  and  doc- 
tor. He  came  to  in  a  short  time  and  asked 
them  to  take  him  to  the  hospital,  but  when  Doc- 
tor de  Thevenau  came  he  decided  that  he  .must 
not  be  moved.  I  never  saw  your  aunt  so  in- 
terested, Virginia.  She  seems  all  upset  over 
it." 

"  She  is  very  kind,  and  feels  that  she  owes 
Alan  a  great  deal,"  Virginia  said  in  a  spent 
voice. 

"  You  look  so  worn  out,  poor  child,"  Mar- 
celle  said;  "  let  me  put  you  to  bed.  All  will  be 
better  to-morrow."  She  waited  on  her  deftly, 
and  after  she  was  lying  down  massaged  her 
head  until  she  fell  asleep. 

The  next  day  Virginia,  in  a  cool  white  linen 
dress,  stayed  all  day  in  the  sickroom.  Watch- 
ing her  capable  ways  and  self-contained  man- 
ner, the  nurse  even  consented  to  slip  away 
twice  for  an  hour's  rest 


Alan  283 

It  was  during  the  second  of  these  absences 
that  Virginia,  praying  earnestly  but  silently, 
knelt  by  Alan.  He  was  quieter,  but  still  wan- 
dering. She  had  the  sense  of  immense  dis- 
tance between  them,  a  wall  of  aloofness  that 
all  her  efforts  seemed  futile  to  penetrate. 
Doctor  Devereux  had  been  there.  "Don't 
give  up,"  he  encouraged  her.  "  I  have  a  con- 
viction that  his  worry  of  mind  has  some  con- 
nection with  seeing  you,  and  until  he  does  — " 
he  stopped  abruptly  but  significantly.  Vir- 
ginia felt  the  importance  of  prompt  measures. 
"Alan,"  she  said  slowly  and  distinctly,  "you 
want  me,  Virginia.  I  am  here.  Look  at  me." 
He  stirred  uneasily.  She  repeated  the  words 
three  times.  His  eyes  opened. 

"  Yes,  I've  wanted  you  for  years,  Virginia," 
he  said  quietly.  He  looked  at  her  with  hungry 
eyes.  "  They  told  me  you  were  away,"  he  said 
wonderingly. 

"  I  was,  but  I  came  back  when  I  heard  you 
were  here." 

His  eyes  held  hers  searchingly.     What  he 


284  The  Violin  Lady 

saw  there  was  unmistakable.  Virginia's  heart 
was  in  her  eyes  now ;  it  was  too  late  for  pride, 
for  concealment.  She  was  reckless. 

Alan  put  out  his  arms.  She  put  her  head 
on  his  breast.  She  heard  him  draw  in  a  great 
sobbing  breath  as  he  held  her  close. 

"  If  I  were  only  stronger !  Virginia,  is  it 
possible  that  you  care?  It  is  worth  the  wait- 
ing," he  murmured. 

Virginia,  with  sudden  recollection,  withdrew 
herself  from  him. 

"  Genevieve !    How  could  we  forget,  Alan?  " 

"  Genevieve !  "  repeated  the  man  in  a  dazed, 
weak  voice.  "  What  do  you  mean,  Jinny  ?  " 

"  She  is  your  sweetheart.  Have  you  for- 
gotten?" 

"  I  thought  you  knew."  Alan's  tone  was 
puzzled.  "  She's  to  marry  my  old  chum  at  the 
University,  Malcolm  Stuart.  I  thought  I 
wrote  you  of  the  engagement,  but  it  was  only 
announced  three  or  four  weeks  ago.  I  feared 
I'd  never  straighten  it  out,  and  they  were  both 
such  good  fellows  and  made  for  each  other." 


Alan  285 

"  It's  all  right.  I  do  understand  now ;  don't 
talk  now,  dear.  I'm  here  to  help  you  get  well, 
and  you  must  help  all  you  can." 

"  It  seems  absurd  that  I'm  so  helpless,  Jinny, 
when  I  want  so  to  be  different.  You  are  sure 
you  won't  go  away?  If  you  will  only  stay  I'll 
soon  be  well.  I  never  acted  so  before  in  all  my 
life." 

He  did  not  wait  for  her  answer.  Exhausted 
with  his  effort,  he  closed  his  eyes,  put  out  his 
hand  for  her  to  take  like  a  child,  and  in  three 
minutes  slept. 

Virginia  bent  over  him  so  that  she  could  hold 
his  hand  easily.  She  was  cramped  and 
strained,  but  she  felt  nothing  but  joy.  Alan 
loved  her,  had  loved  her  for  years,  he  said. 
How  could  it  be  ?  She  could  love  him  without 
shame  now.  He  belonged  to  her :  oh,  the  bliss 
of  it! 

Mademoiselle  Pagnie,  the  nurse,  came  in 
softly.  "  I'm  afraid  I  overslept,"  she  said. 
"  You  must  be  tired;  let  me  relieve  you." 

But  Virginia  shook  her  head.     "  He  is  all 


286  The  Violin  Lady 

right,"  she  said  triumphantly.  That  was  all 
that  mattered.  The  hours  had  passed  when 
again  Alan  opened  his  eyes.  He  looked  dazed 
for  a  moment,  then  he  said :  "  It  wasn't  a 
dream  after  all,  Jinny!  But  how  tired  you 
must  be !  What  a  brute  I  am  to  keep  you  this 
way !  "  He  relinquished  the  hand. 

"  Virginia,  say  again  those  blessed  words," 
he  urged  faintly. 

"  Will  you  go  to  sleep  if  I  do  ?  "  bribed  the 
girl. 

The  color  flooded  her  face,  but  she  ignored 
Mademoiselle's  possible  shock  as  she  put  her 
face  close  to  Alan's  and  whispered  the  magical 
words.  As  if  they  were  a  potent  charm,  the 
man,  weak  as  a  child,  dropped  off  to  sleep. 

When  Virginia  slipped  off  for  lunch  the 
nurse  followed  her. 

"  The  crisis  is  over,  I  am  sure.  Monsieur 
le  Docteur  will  be  so  relieved.  It  will  be  prob- 
ably a  tedious  recovery,  but  if  you  will  stay  it  is 
sure,"  she  said  in  her  pretty  French. 

"  I  shall  stay,"  promised  Virginia. 


'Alan  287 

She  went  into  the  breakfast-room  for  lunch. 
Aunt  Henrietta  and  Marcelle  were  awaiting 
her.  At  sight  of  her  face  Aunt  Henrietta  be- 
gan to  cry. 

"He  will  get  well,  I  know;  he  is  himself," 
she  said.  "  You  look  so  happy,  Virginia." 

"  I  am  happy,"  the  girl  said.  "  Alan  is  bet- 
ter, but  he  is  not  well.  I  must  be  with  him 
constantly.  Dear  Aunt  Henrietta,  I  want  to 
be  married  very  soon.  Will  you  and  Marcelle 
manage  it  for  me  ?  " 

"  Certainly  we  shall,"  Marcelle  declared  in 
her  strong,  decided  voice.  She  had  come  over 
to  the  Violin  Lady's  side.  "  I  am  so  glad,  Vir- 
ginia dear,"  she  said. 

"  You  can  understand,"  murmured  the  girl. 

Aunt  Henrietta  stood  there  astounded. 
Her  lips  parted  as  if  to  dissuade  her;  then  she 
said  quietly  instead :  "  You  dear  child,  you 
must  eat  something.  I  shall  ring  for  coffee." 

Immediately  after  lunch  Virginia  went  to 
the  telephone. 

"  This   is   Virginia   Hammond,   Doctor   de 


288  The  Violin  Lady 

Thevenau,"  she  said.  "  Mr.  Kingsbury  is  per- 
fectly himself,  but  very  weak.  Do  you  think 
he  will  be  able  to  be  married  to-morrow?  " 

"  Better  wait  a  few  days ;  we  don't  want  him 
to  retrograde." 

"  So  that  is  what  you  call  marriage,  is  it? 
I  shall  tell  your  wife." 

"  Well,  it  depends  so  much  on  whom  the 
other  person  is;  may  I  inquire  who  is  the 
womah  to  be  given  to  this  man? " 

"  Cest  moi"  said  a  very  small  voice. 

"  He  is  far  too  weak  to  talk;  some  one  must 
have  asked  him ;  perhaps  it  is  forced  marriage. 
Don't  tell  my  wife;  she  is  sure  the  suffragists 
will  soon  vote  for  women  to  do  all  the  propos- 
ing, and  it  shocks  her  dreadfully." 

"  It's  worse  than  that.  Alan  doesn't  know 
it  yet  until  I  tell  him. 

"  Well,  the  very  earliest  I  can  allow  is  Mon- 
day ;  and  I  can  promise  one  thing,  he  won't  run 
away." 

Virginia  came  into  the  sickroom.  As  the 
nurse  went  out  the  door  she  said  to  the  man 


Alan  289 

watching  her,  "  Alan,  will  you  marry  me  on 
Monday  morning  ?  " 

"What?" 

"Marry  me  Monday  morning;  don't  turn 
me  down.  You  don't  look  at  all  happy  over 
it." 

"  You  darling !  I  heard  once  that  you  said 
if  you  ever  married  it  must  be  in  St.  Mar- 
garet's, and  think  of  the  difference." 

"  Then  you  refuse  ?  " 

"  Virginia,  why  do  you  stay  so  far  away, 
just  as  if  you  were  going  to  run  off?  " 

She  came  nearer. 

"  You  used  to  kiss  me  a  long  time  ago." 

"  You  were  so  ill  you  had  to  be  indulged." 

"  I'm  much  worse  now." 

"  Alan !  really  ?  "  Virginia  bent  over  him 
anxiously  to  feel  his  pulse. 

He  pulled  her  down  and  kissed  her  not  once, 
but  many  times. 

"  You're  a  fraud.  I'm  sure  you  are  better 
now.  I  shan't  worry  over  you  any  more. 
You're  stronger  than  you  seem." 


290  The  Fiolin  Lady 

"  If  you  could  only  half  realize  how  long  I've 
been  starved!  If  you  could  only  know  what 
I've  been  through  making  myself  stay  away  all 
this  time!" 

"Why  did  you  do  it?" 

"  Because  I  wanted  so  to  be  fair.  Your  dear 
mother  was  so  kind  to  a  boy  who  had  no  love, 
no  care,  no  real  home.  I  made  a  vow  I  would 
never  forget  it.  I  knew  that  your  heart  was 
set  on  carrying  out  your  cherished  plan  to 
be  a  fine  violinist,  and  I  was  determined  that 
I  would  not  lay  a  straw  in  the  way  of  doing 
what  you  and  your  mother  would  wish  you 
to  do.  I  determined  that  you  should  go  out 
into  the  world  free  from  any  binding  vows. 
I  intended  waiting  longer,  but  my  vision 
was  too  much  for  my  will.  Then  I  perhaps 
flattered  myself  unduly  that  I  understood 
you  at  least  in  part,  and  I  felt  sure  that 
you  were  not  ready.  Honestly,  Jinny,  if  I 
had  come  at  Easter,  over  a  year  ago,  when 
I  intended,  would  you  have  loved  me  or 
married  me?" 


Alan  291 

"  No,  I  wouldn't,  Alan.  I  seem  to  have  had 
to  come  to  it  my  own  way." 

"  I  was  sure  you  would  refuse  me ;  but  I 
wanted  you  so  intensely  that  I  dared  not  trust 
myself  to  see  you  and  keep  silent.  Then  when 
I  read  the  accounts  of  your  unusual  success, 
while  I  glowed  with  pride  it  seemed  to  put  you 
so  far  away.  What  was  I  to  court  a  famous 
woman  like  you?  What  had  I  to  offer  in  re- 
turn? Then  I  heard  thattyou  were  to  marry 
high  in  the  social  world,  and  I  was  .  .  .  well, 
very  low  in  my  mind.  And  then,  Jinny,  I  had 
such  a  strange  experience  I  hesitate  to  tell  even 
you.  It  was  the  night  of  the  grand  concert. 
I  was  thinking  of  you,  and  trying  to  see  you  in 
my  mind's  eye  playing  to  that  immense  listen- 
ing throng,  when  all  at  once  I  saw  you  as 
plainly  as  I  see  you  now.  You  were  in  white, 
with  something  pink  over  your  dress,  and  you 
held  your  violin.  Then,  as  I  watched  you,  fas- 
cinated, you  deliberately  laid  it  down  and 
stretched  your  arms  out  towards  me.  Your 
eyes  looked  as  they  did  the  other  day  when  I 


292  The  Violin  Lady 

knew,  and  you  cried  out :  *  Take  me,  Alan ;  I 
want  you  so/  Then  you  were  gone.  But  I 
could  not  sleep.  Mr.  Jordan  wanted  some 
business  attended  to  abroad,  but  he  felt  that  I 
wasn't  well  enough  yet  to  go,  but  I  insisted. 
Usually  I  can,  as  you  used  to  say,  hustle,  but 
everything  seemed  to  drag,  and  the  boat  was 
so  slow.  I  told  myself  I  must  not  spoil  things, 
that  I  must  be  sure;  and  then  everything  was 
turned  about  and  I  wondered  if  I  were  to  see 
you  at  all  again.  When  I  did  I  thought  at  first 
I  had  died  and  it  was  heaven ;  and  when  I  read 
your  dear,  tell-tale  eyes  I  was  sure  of  it." 

Then  Virginia  told  him  of  her  experience 
that  night  on  the  stage. 

They  were  silent  after  that.  Sometimes 
people  are  too  happy  and  absorbed  to  talk. 

"  Virginia  Hammond,"  Alan  said  at  last, 
"  did  I  dream  we  are  to  be  married  Mon- 
day?" 

"  If  it  is  my  lord's  will." 

"  I  want  it  so  much  that  I  fear  to  yield.  You 
are  so  generous  and  prodigal  of  your  favors 


SOMETIMES    PEOPLE    ARE    TOO    HAPPY   AND    ABSORBED    TO 

TALK  " 


Alan  293 

I  keep  telling  myself  that  I  mustn't  take  an  un- 
due advantage.  I  feel,  dear,  so  unworthy  — " 

"  Alan,  I  didn't  think  you'd  make  me  ask 
again." 

"  Jinny,  I  want  to  be  married  this  very  after- 
noon. I  can't  wait  till  Monday." 

"  The  doctor  won't  allow  it,  and,  if  you  talk 
any  more,  Mademoiselle  Pagnie  will  forbid  me 
the  room,  and  we  shan't  be  married  at  all." 

"  I'd  like  to  see  her." 

But  Virginia  took  up  a  book  and  pretended 
to  read.  The  stillness  was  perfect.  In  five 
minutes  Alan  slept. 

"  Poor  boy,  he  is  so  weak !  I  must  not  let 
him  talk  so  much,"  thought  Virginia. 

She  kept  to  her  resolution  all  next  day,  but 
Saturday  he  seemed  so  much  stronger  that  he 
demanded  more.  He  could  hardly  wait  until 
the  nurse  was  gone. 

"  I've  been  thinking,  dear,  of  how  strangely 
you  spoke  of  Genevieve  Black,  just  as  if  you 
thought  we  were  lovers  —  did  you  ever  think 
that?" 


294  The  Violin  Lady 

"  I  certainly  did,  and  so  did  the  Jordans. 
You  went  there  instead  of  coming  here  after 
you  had  promised,  you  seemed  so  very  fond  of 
her,  you  admired  her, —  no  wonder  I  thought 
so." 

"  I  had  always  wanted  a  sister,"  Alan  began ; 
"  I  used  to  think  of  you  like  that,  but  when  I 
went  to  Carlisle  I  knew  that  I  could  never  look 
upon  you  that  way  again.  Then  I  found  out 
quite  by  accident  that  my  chum,  Malcolm 
Stuart,  was  quite  mad  about  Genevieve,  but 
there  was  a  serious  misunderstanding  between 
them.  They're  both  as  proud  as  Lucifer,  and 
it  seemed  to  me  that  things  were  never  coming 
out  straight.  But  I  happened  on  the  right 
track  with  Genevieve  once,  and  at  last  they  are 
engaged.  It  was  only  announced  six  weeks 
ago,  and  I  was  sure  I  had  written  it  to  you. 
They  are  to  be  married  in  the  fall.  I  little 
thought  when  I  congratulated  them  that  I 
would  get  ahead  of  them.  Jinny,  Genevieve 
is  a  mighty  fine  girl." 

Virginia   smiled   indulgently.     "Alan,   I'm 


Alan  295 

sure  she  is ;  and  I'm  beginning  to  suspect  that 
I've  been  a  horrid  little  beast  and  been  jealous 
of  her  from  the  first." 

"  I  can  never  believe  that ;  it  is  too  absurd. 
She  is  the  only  one  I  ever  talked  to  of  you. 
She  tried  to  put  hope  into  me  when  I  was  down. 
She  was  a  good  chum." 

"  I  know  she  thought  I  wasn't  half  worthy 
of  you;  well,  I'm  not." 

"  Look  here,  Jinny,  I  am  quite  weak  and  no 
'count,  but  I  don't  allow  any  one  to  talk  that 
way  of  you." 

"  Don't  excite  yourself,  little  boy.  Did  you 
ever  meet  Professor  Canfield?  " 

"  Once.  He's  the  '  foine  gintleman,'  as  the 
Flahertys  would  say.  He  has  brains,  yet  he's 
just  like  folks  to  talk  to,  and  perhaps  he  isn't 
in  love  all  right !  " 

"  He  ought  to  be,"  Virginia  said  severely. 
"  Elizabeth  Jordans  don't  grow  on  every 
tree." 

"  I  wonder,"  said  Alan  wheedlingly,  "  if  you 
would  do  a  big  thing  for  me  now,  this  hour?  " 


296  The  Violin  Lady 

"  You  frighten  me ;  don't  keep  me  in  sus- 
pense." 

"  I  want  you  to  get  my  long-time  rival,  your 
little  fiddle,  and  play  for  me." 

"Just  as  soon  as  Mademoiselle  comes.  I 
might  disturb  her  and  Aunt  Henrietta's  naps 
sooner." 

Later  she  played  all  the  numbers  that  she  had 
played  at  the  big  Parisian  concert,  including 
her  own  three  compositions. 

Alan  lay  there  watching  her  and  listening 
with  kindling  eyes.  He  did  not  speak  for  a 
few  minutes  after  she  ended  with  "  The  Con- 
queror." 

"  I  realize  now  as  I  never  did  before  that  you 
are  indeed  the  Violin  Lady,"  he  said;  then 
soberly,  "  You're  a  real  live  genius,  not  the  lit- 
tle Jinny  Hammond  I  know.  I  shan't  be  mar- 
ried Monday;  I'm  afraid." 

That  night  as  Virginia  was  undressing  — 
Marcelle  was  staying  the  week-end  with  the 
de  Thevenaus  —  Aunt  Henrietta  came  in.  She 
was  evidently  troubled.  "  My  dear,"  she  be- 


Alan  297 

gan  abruptly,  "  I've  come  to  confess.  It's 
about  Alan.  You  see,  while  I  always  liked 
him  I  didn't  want  you  to  marry  him,  and  I've 
felt  for  some  time  that  he  cared  for  you.  But 
my  heart  was  set  on  your  making  a  brilliant 
match,  especially  since  I  heard  of  your  success 
in  London.  So  awhile  ago,  when  I  wrote  him 
a  business  letter,  I  added  that  you  were  be- 
coming so  famous  I  was  sure  from  all  the 
rumors  that  you  were  to  marry  rank  and  posi- 
tion, and  that  I  should  do  everything  possible 
to  encourage  it;  that  I  couldn't  face  the  alter- 
native of  your  being  buried  in  America.  I 
have  been  afraid  since  Alan  was  so  ill  that  I 
might  have  hurt  him  or  misled  him." 

"  Don't  bother,  Aunt  Henrietta,  I  am  too 
happy  and  grateful  to-night  to  care  for  any- 
thing but  Alan." 

"  He's  a  dear  fellow,  and  I  feel  now  that  he's 
even  good  enough  for  you,  a  Leighton.  Good 
night." 

As  Virginia  told  her  lover,  he  could  not  ask 
anything  more  of  Aunt  Henrietta  than  that. 


298  The  Violin  Lady 

Sunday  Alan  seemed  so  much  better  and  more 
like  himself  the  doctor  was  delighted.  When 
the  two  were  alone,  he  said,  "  I'm  so  ashamed 
to  think  that  I've  never  mentioned  the  death 
of  Aunt  Deb  and  Uncle,  Jinny." 

"  Ma  spoke  of  it  in  her  last  letter,  saying 
she  had  written  details  before  but  the  letter 
miscarried,"  Virginia  explained. 

"  They  died  in  May :  Aunt  Deb  of  pneu- 
monia and  Uncle  two  weeks  later  of  heart 
trouble.  He  seemed  dazed  after  she  was  gone 
and  didn't  know  how  to  live  without  her.  I 
don't  believe  it  was  love  so  much  as  habit.  I 
was  so  surprised  to  find  that  Aunt  Deb,  much 
as  she  disapproved  of  me,  left  me  everything. 
She  was  very  well  off,  over  a  hundred  thousand. 
I  put  most  of  it  in  the  business  as  junior  part- 
ner —  Mr.  Jordan  had  arranged  that  I  should 
go  in  before  I  dreamed  of  the  legacy,  but  of 
course  this  gives  me  a  larger  share  —  and  now 
the  firm  is  Jordan  &  Kingsbury.  I  told  Eliz- 
abeth not  to  tell  you,  I  wanted  to  surprise  you. 
Jinny,  let  us  make  the  income  of  her  money  as 


Alan  299 

well  as  our  own  help  others.  I  can't  bear  to 
think  of  all  that  Aunt  Deb  missed  and  of  all 
the  beautiful  things  she  might  have  done ! " 

"  And  that  reminds  me,  Alan,"  Virginia  said 
earnestly,  "  it  never  suited  my  ideas  of  things 
that  when  people  marry  they  should  receive 
everything;  they  already  have  so  much.  I 
want  to  give  on  our  wedding  day.  You  re- 
member the  Lauderdales,  the  missionary  and 
his  wife  out  West  who  are  doing  a  good  work 
so  simply  ?  Well,  Marcelle  and  I  want  to  send 
them  a  big  check  to-morrow  for  their  work  and 
part  for  themselves." 

"  Let  me  help,"  begged  Alan.  "  And  let  us 
endow  two  beds  in  the  doctor's  new  hospital 
for  children.  I'd  like  to  think  that  some  poor 
kids  who  are  ill  or  injured  might  have  a  chance 
through  us  to  get  well  and  strong." 

"  Alan,  you  are  so  dear,"  Virginia  declared; 
"  that  makes  me  so  happy." 

The  man  took  her  hand  in  his  thin  ones  — 
Virginia  remembered  with  a  pang  the  vigorous 
clasp  of  the  Alan  of  old.  "Jinny,"  he  said, 


300  The  Violin  Lady 

"  my  happiness  overwhelms  me.  I  feel  that  I 
must  let  it  overflow  to  others  or  I  couldn't  bear 
it." 

When  Virginia  left  him  early  in  the  evening 
he  whispered :  "  Pray  that  to-morrow  may 
come  soon,  dear." 

The  service  was  to  be  promptly  at  ten.  Mar- 
celle  had  laid  out  Virginia's  cream  lace  dress 
and  had  bought  some  orange  blossoms  for  her 
hair  and  corsage.  Marcelle  was  in  white. 

"  You  have  been  such  a  comfort,"  Virginia 
said.  "  You  think  and  do  where  others  talk." 

Marcelle  had  seen  to  everything;  the  doctor 
had  bought  the  ring,  license  and  daintiest  silk 
attire  for  the  patient.  Virginia  thought  he 
had  never  looked  so  fine  and  handsome.  The 
rector  —  Mr.  Ellsworth  —  who  knew  Virginia, 
stood  by  the  bed  in  his  vestments.  Aunt  Hen- 
rietta and  the  de  Thevenaus  were  there.  Vir- 
ginia stepped  quietly  to  the  bedside,  standing 
during  the  solemn  service.  She  knelt,  Alan's 
hand  clasped  in  hers,  for  the  benediction.  It 
was  all  quiet,  impressive,  and  the  tears  came  to 


Alan  301 

the  eves  of  the  few  who  witnessed  it.  They 
all  slipped  away  after  a  few  words  to  the  two 
chief  actors,  and  Alan  and  the  girl  of  his  heart 
were  alone.  The  man's  eyes  shone  with  hap- 
piness. 

"  He  has  '  the  look,'  "  Virginia  thought,  un- 
aware that  her  own  face  was  so  illuminated 
that  Alan  felt  almost  dazzled  as  he  gazed. 

"  You  beautiful  thing !  "  he  cried.  "  Tell  me 
again  that  you  are  mine,  for  I  can't  believe  it. 
I  fear  it's  one  of  my  dreams.  Virginia,  may 
God  never  forgive  me  if  I  fail  to  make  good 
as  your  lover,  your  husband." 

"You've  made  good  in  all  else;  I'm  not 
afraid  of  failure  now.  That  is  the  test,  Alan, 
one's  life,  one's  self.  Why  don't  you  fear  for 
me?  I'm  very  human  and  faulty,"  his  wife 
assured  him. 

They  sat  there  until  the  nurse  came  back  in 
an  hour,  which  they  were  certain  had  been  but 
a  few  moments. 

Aunt  Henrietta  gave  them  exquisite  linens 
and  a  quaint  silver  bowl;  the  de  Thevenaus  a 


302  The  Violin  Lady 

fine  old  painting;  Marcelle  a  lovely  brooch  for 
the  Violin  Lady.  But  the  greatest  gift  of  all 
for  the  bride  was  when  Doctor  de  Thevenau 
told  her  that  evening  that  they  considered  the 
danger  over  and  that  with  care  Alan  would  be 
well  in  a  few  weeks  at  most. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

ALL'S    WELL   THAT    ENDS    WELL 

IT  was  two  weeks  after  the  wedding.  From 
the  hour  of  the  marriage  Alan  made  rapid 
strides  towards  recovery.  He  loved  to 
have  Virginia  sit  by  him  with  her  work,  or 
reading  aloud  to  him.  He  told  her  he  had 
dreamed  of  her  so  often  in  their  home  sitting 
opposite  him  with  her  needlework. 

Virginia  laughed.  "  Alan,  I  shall  have  to 
fess  up  that  I  don't  like  to  sew  one  little  bit. 
It  is  too  bad  to  spoil  your  dream.  I  don't  much 
mind  hemming  though,  so  I've  begun  on  some 
napkins  for  our  home  furnishing." 

"  The  doctor  thinks  that  we  can  go  off  on 
our  wedding  trip  in  a  week  by  easy  stages,  and 
I  want  you  to  make  out  our  itinerary,  Jinny," 
Alan  urged,  ignoring  the  sewing  episode. 

"  Oh,   let   us   go   leisurely  through   Great 

303 


304  The  Violin  Lady 

Britain  and  Ireland,"  Virginia  said.  "  I  didn't 
see  half;  it  will  be  lovely  to  enjoy  it  to- 
gether." 

"  I  want  to  talk  with  you  too,  Virginia, 
about  your  profession.  You  know  me  well 
enough  to  be  sure  that  I  am  as  anxious  as  you 
for  you  to  keep  on  with  your  work.  There 
will  be  many  times  when  you  can  go  on  brief 
trips  in  our  country  and  others;  and  thank 
heaven !  I  can  arrange  things  so  you  can  have 
leisure  for  practice  and  the  creations  of  your 
mind.  I  can  now  enjoy  my  ancient  rival  and 
afford  to  be  generous,  for  I  have  come  out  on 
top." 

"And  I,  too,  want  to  say  something,"  Vir- 
ginia declared  earnestly.  "  I  shall  be  glad  and 
anxious  not  to  give  up  my  violin  playing  in 
public  and  above  all  my  creative  work,  but  I 
feel  now,  Alan,  that  other  things  come  before 
even  that.  I  long  for  a  home ;  I  want,  in  time, 
to  have  children ;  I  want  above  all  things  to  be 
your  helpmeet  and  comrade.  I  can't  picture 
myself  indifferent  to  my  beloved  fiddle  ever, 


All's  Well  That  Ends  Well        305 

but  now  I  can  think  of  but  one  thing:  for  you 
to  get  well." 

Virginia  had  a  note  from  Camondreau  which 
pained  and  hurt  her  keenly,  which  read  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  My  dear  Madame  Kingsbury : 

"  I  learn  through  our  mutual  friend,  Dr.  de 
Thevenau,  of  your  marriage  and  renouncing  of 
all  our  plans  for  the  coming  year.  I  know 
what  that  means:  that  your  career  is  over. 
Brief  as  a  summer's  day,  it  is  gone  never  to 
return.  It  has  been  a  blow  to  me  that  you  can 
never  even  faintly  comprehend.  I  have  placed 
all  my  faith  on  you  to  keep  my  memory  green. 
You,  my  favorite  pupil,  have  deserted  me.  Do 
you  not  think  that  you  are  bound  by  every  idea 
of  honor  and  obligation  to  sacrifice  yourself  to 
your  art?  What  is  mere  personal  happiness 
to  such  a  career  as  the  future  promises  you? 
I  cannot  see  you  or  hear  from  you.  You  have 
broken  my  old  heart. 

"  CAMONDREAU." 


306  The  Violin  Lady 

Virginia  went  to  see  him  at  once,  but  he  re- 
fused to  meet  her.  She  wrote  him,  but  he  re- 
turned her  letter  unopened. 

"  You  can  do  nothing  more  except  to  let  the 
future  show  that  while  you  may-  still  place  your 
domestic  ties  first,  you  can  do  both.  How 
many  do !  "  Alan  exclaimed. 

In  these  days  of  happiness  Virginia's  heart 
ached  for  Marcelle,  who  had  gone  to  Nancy 
to  sing  quite  unexpectedly  for  the  de  Thevan- 
aus.  She  wanted  to  see  her  before  sailing.  It 
seemed  almost  wicked  to  be  so  blissful  when 
Marcelle  had  lost  so  much. 

"  Alan,  do  you  care  very  much  to  travel  in 
Great  Britain  ?  "  Virginia  asked  suddenly  one 
day,  as  they  were  out  in  Aunt  Henrietta's  new 
car. 

"  I  thought  you  wanted  the  trip,"  Alan 
evaded. 

"  Because,  if  it  would  not  be  a  great  disap- 
pointment, I  would  so  much  rather  go  home  as 
soon  as  possible,"  Virginia  hurried  on,  looking 
at  her  husband  anxiously  as  she  spoke. 


All's  Well  That  Ends  Well        307 

"Are  you  sure?"  Alan  asked.  Virginia's 
keen  eyes  saw  with  relief  a  gleam  of  joy  in  his 
as  she  nodded  an  affirmative  with  energy. 

"  The  doctor  told  me  that  a  sea  voyage  would 
finish  my  cure,  but  I  would  not  let  him  hint  it 
to  you;  and  —  I  suppose  you  will  think  me 
dreadfully  silly  —  I  want  to  take  you  home 
with  me  now.  I  want  to  be  sure  it  is  not  a 
dream :  I  want  to  show  you  off  to  my  friends : 
I  long  to  select  or  build  a  home,"  Alan's  words 
rushed  forth  impulsively.  "  I  am  so  proud  of 
you,  Jinny,"  he  went  on,  "  I  am  simply  hilari- 
ous, and  I  long  to  be  among  our  own  friends. 
I  feel  like  a  boy  with  his  first  watch,  as  if  I 
must  hold  you  up  to  every  one's  view  and  say : 
'  Look  at  her,  you  poor  unfortunate  creatures ; 
she's  mine,  hands  off ! ' ' 

"  And  they  will  be  so  relieved  that  I  am  yours 
they  will  be  saying :  '  I  would  not  be  the  hus- 
band of  a  player  woman  for  worlds,  and  have 
to  eat  her  heavy  biscuits,  soggy  pies  and  burnt 
meat!'"  Virginia  retorted  laughing.  "But, 
oh,  Alan,  I  am  so  glad  to  know  that  we  can  sail 


308  The  Violin  Lady 

for  home!  I  would  like  to  start  this  minute. 
I  long  for  home  and  my  home  people!  I 
thought  you  ought  to  have  the  other  trip,  but 
it  did  seem  as  if  I  had  been  away  such  an  age ! 
The  old  countries  are  full  of  interest  and  won- 
derful gifts  of  the  past,  and  I  have  met  lovely 
people,  but,  after  all,  one  craves  one's  own, 
one's  country,  one's  family,  one's  home.  I  want 
to  swing  in  the  hammock  on  the  back  porch  at 
the  farm ;  I  dream  of  Ma,  Father,  the  children, 
the  Jordans  and  the  McPhersons,  and  all  the 
rest,  and  there  is  old  Lucinda.  Why  couldn't 
we  see  them  and  then  take  a  trip  in  our  own 
land?  I've  been  about  so  little  there." 

Alan's  face  brightened.  "  It  would  suit  me, 
dearest,  and  later  we  can  come  back  here. 
We'll  engage  passage  at  once  on  the  Oceanic." 

Three  days  later  they  sailed  from  Havre. 

After  they  were  well  out  at  sea  Alan  and 
Virginia  went  on  deck.  A  woman  sat  com- 
fortably in  a  steamer  chair  talking  to  a  man  of 
unusually  distinguished  appearance.  Virginia 
felt  that  she  was  taking  leave  of  her  senses. 


All's  Well  That  Ends  Well        309 

Her  husband  looked  at  her  in  surprise  as  she 
left  him  and  hurried  forward. 

"  Marcelle !  "  she  cried  incredulously.  As  if 
in  a  dream  she  saw  her  friend  come  to  meet 
her. 

"  We  wanted  to  surprise  you.  You  have 
met  Dr.  Hensen,"  Marcelle  said  in  a  matter- 
of-fact  tone. 

The  men  went  off  for  a  smoke,  and  Mar- 
celle, her  face  with  "  the  look  "  again  on  it,  was 
saying:  "A  telegram  forwarded  from  Paris 
was  handed  to  me  before  I  sang  my  second 
song  at  Nancy.  It  read : 

"  '  Meet  me  at  Havre.     All  is  well. 

" '  CONRAD/ 

You  can  imagine  my  feelings,  Virginia.  I 
thought  I  would  never  reach  the  coast.  At 
Havre  I  met  Conrad  at  the  station.  '  Gerda 
is  dead,'  he  began  at  once,  after  greeting  me. 
'  It  was  very  sudden,  the  breaking  of  a  blood 
vessel  on  the  brain.  Marcelle,  I  try  to  forget 
everything  except  that  she  was  ill  in  body  and 


310  The  Violin  Lady 

mind,  perhaps  long  before  we  knew  it.  Poor 
girl!  would  that  I  might  have  borne  at  least 
some  of  her  suffering ! '  It  was  the  only  time 
he  ever  alluded  to  his  unhappiness,  and  I  would 
not  have  understood  then  if  his  aunt  had  not 
enlightened  me  earlier.  He  went  on  to  tell  me 
of  his  return  to  Berlin. 

"  He  decided  to  carry  out  his  plan  of  going  to 
America;  but  he  could  not  go  on  without  me. 
He  said  he  felt  sure  I  wouldn't  fail  him.  He 
engaged  passage  for  us  both  and  telegraphed 
me.  He  had  found  you  were  booked  on  the 
Oceanic  and  he  felt  that  you  would  be  both 
a  protection  and  pleasure.  We  are  to  be  mar- 
ried soon.  Virginia,  I  can't  believe  it  is  true. 
Perhaps  Ma  will  let  me  be  married  at  your 
home.  I  want  the  very  simplest  of  weddings." 

"  You  could  not  please  her  better,  and 
Lucinda  will  make  you  the  best  things  to  eat. 
Marcelle,  I,  too,  can't  believe  it.  All  through 
these  past  weeks  with  Alan  I  could  not  forget 
your  trouble.  And  now  to  think  when  I  feared 
it  would  last  for  years,  it  is  over." 


All's  Well  That  Ends  Well        311 

In  their  stateroom  later  Alan  was  saying: 
"  Dr.  Hensen  is  above  the  ordinary,  Jinny. 
He  told  me  only  something  of  his  story,  but  I 
could  read  much  between  the  lines.  He  feels 
as  I  do  about  you  and  Miss  Le  Due  going  on 
with  your  career.  He  does  not  see  why  you 
cannot  do  a  great  deal  still,  even  if  you  are 
hampered  with  husbands." 

"  I'm  rather  surprised,"  Virginia  replied;  "  I 
tease  Marcelle  about  marrying  a  foreigner 
when  she  has  always  declared  that  she  could 
not  marry  any  one  but  an  American,  and  she 
says  logically :  '  He  is  not  a  foreigner ;  he's  a 
man  and  my  lover/  Marcelle  and  I  have  been 
so  closely  related  we  are  very  near  and  dear  to 
each  other.  It  would  have  quite  broken  my 
heart  if  her  life  had  been  saddened  by  the  cloud 
that  hung  over  it.  Oh,  Alan,  how  we  are  cared 
for  and  led!  Marcelle  has  always  declared 
that  she  was  not  at  all  religious,  but  she  said 
to  me  to-night :  '  I've  tried  to  think  it  was  all 
right  as  Conrad  said.  If  it  had  dragged  on 
for  years  I  might  have  been  rebellious,  but  I 


312  The  VioUn  Lady 

feel  now  that  my  —  our  —  times  are  in  Higher 
Hands.  Perhaps  some  day  I  may  reach  Con- 
rad's height.' " 

What  Virginia  did  not  say  aloud  she  thought ; 
it  was:  "Why  must  any  one  be  unhappy? 
How  I  shall  rejoice  when  I  receive  the  an- 
nouncement of  the  marriage  of  the  gallant  Cap- 
tain and  the  Honorable  Mr.  Fairfax !  " 

The  voyage  was  delightful.  Alan  said  he 
wished  it  would  last  forever. 

"  You  think  so  now,  but  oh !  how  wretched 
you  would  be  after  a  few  months,  or  even  weeks 
of  it !  "  Virginia  exclaimed. 

"  Mrs.  Kingsbury,  you're  entirely  too  analyt- 
ical." 

"  I'm  too  happy  to  be  anything  so  formi- 
dable," retorted  Virginia.  "  The  two  things 
lacking  will  soon  be  supplied:  Marcelle's  mar- 
riage, and  seeing  all  the  home  people.  Do  you 
think,  Alan,  if  trouble  comes,  I  shall  be  so  un- 
grateful as  to  forget  this  time  in  our  lives  ?  " 

"  I  hope  I  shall  not,"  Alan  said  thoughtfully. 
"  Jinny,  I  can  hardly  wait  to  go  about  selecting 


All's  Well  That  Ends  Well        313 

or  building  our  home!  After  our  visit  to  the 
farm,  and  trip,  we'll  go  to  a  hotel  and  stay 
until  our  house  is  ready  to  step  into.  If  you 
just  knew  how  I  have  longed  for  a  home !  And 
next  year  we  must  have  Bob  with  us  to  attend 
the  Technical  School,  and  the  next  year  Janet 
must  go  to  Miss  Kemble's." 

"  You  think  of  everything.  I've  been  plan- 
ning your  den  and  the  dining-room.  It  will  be 
such  fun  choosing  things.  I  always  loved  to 
as  a  child,  but  then  they  materialized  only  in 
make-believes ;  this  time  they'll  be  real.  Alan, 
I  feel  so  meek  and  subdued  I  believe  even  the 
Due  would  be  willing  to  marry  me  if  I  were  of 
the  inner  circle !  .  .  .  and  free." 

It  was  decided  that  Marcelle  was  to  go 
directly  to  the  farm  with  Alan  and  Virginia, 
Dr.  Hensen  staying  in  New  York  with  a  fellow- 
patriot  to  arrange  his  future  in  a  new  country. 

"  What  a  fortunate  thing  it  is  that  Doctor 
de  Thevenau  invested  my  money  in  America 
several  months  ago ! "  Marcelle  informed  Vir- 
ginia. They  were  on  deck;  the  men,  who 


314  The  Violin  Lady 

seemed  very  congenial,  were  enjoying  a  tramp 
and  smoke. 

"  Everything's  fortunate,"  Virginia  de- 
clared; "even  'The  Conqueror'  bids  fair  to 
be  famous.  It  has  been  arranged  for  an 
orchestra.  I  wish  I  might  hear  it;  it  would 
be  very  effective  with  the  different  instruments. 
I  shall  do  better  work  after  I  settle  down  in 
Carlisle.  They  say  sorrow  is  the  best  incen- 
tive to  creative  work,  but  I  mean  to  show  that 
joy  and  happiness  are  better." 

"  My  great  disappointment  in  my  work  has 
been  that  I  have  no  histrionic  talent  and  so 
could  never  sing  in  opera,"  Marcelle  confessed; 
"  but  now  I  don't  care  at  all.  I  hope,  Vir- 
ginia, our  future  work  will  be  together.  I 
could  not  do  as  well  with  any  one  else." 

So  the  two  talked  on,  planning  for  the  future, 
but  it  was  noticeable  that  it  was  more  of  their 
homes  and  married  life  than  of  their  art. 

The  home-coming  was  all  that  Virginia  had 
pictured  it.  Ma,  in  a  new  white  gown,  ran 
down  the  walk  to  meet  them,  Mr.  Hammond 


AHfs  Well  That  Ends  Well        315 

and  the  children  at  her  heels.  For  a  few 
minutes  there  was  Bedlam  broken  loose,  Mr. 
Hammond  said. 

"  Ma,  I  never  knew  you  were  beautiful  be- 
fore ! "  cried  Virginia  fervently,  as  she  gazed 
on  at  the  beaming  face  of  her  stepmother. 
"  And  Bob  is  so  tall  and  straight,  and  Janet 
such  a  big  girl!  Oh,  I'm  just  blissful;  I  can't 
stand  another  drop!  Where's  Lucinda?  " 

"  She's  waiting,"  Janet  said. 

There  she  was  standing  on  the  porch  wiping 
her  eyes. 

"  I  never  thought  I'd  see  you  agin,  Jinny ; 
don't,  don't  go  over  to  the  Dark  Ages  any 
more,"  she  begged,  her  mind  rather  mixed  but 
her  heart  all  right. 

Virginia  went  about  admiring  the  new  im- 
provements, the  pretty  furnishings  of  the  bed- 
rooms, the  new  parlor  rug,  the  dining-room 
paper. 

Marcelle  was  made  to  feel  at  home  at  once. 
That  was  one  of  Ma's  homely  but  not  common 
gifts.  Lucinda's  supper  was  wonderful,  and 


316  The  Violin  Lady 

the  appetites  of  the  newcomers  satisfied  even 
her.  Marcelle,  Virginia  and  Alan  had  brought 
gifts  for  everybody  "just  like  Christmas," 
Janet  said,  while  Alan  and  Bob  went  off  in  a 
corner  to  talk  over  some  long  coveted  wireless 
properties  and  photograph  outfits  Alan  was  to 
order. 

They  all  had  so  much  to  talk  over  as  they  sat 
on  the  big  piazza  day  after  day.  Alan  and 
Mr.  Hammond  laughed  at  the  women,  but  Vir- 
ginia said  she  noticed  they  hung  around  a  great 
deal  and  liked  to  listen.  Virginia  played  to  an 
audience  not  critical  or  learned,  but  so  over- 
flowing with  pride  and  love  that  her  heart  sang. 
Marcelle  filled  the  home  with  her  beautiful 
voice.  She  had  set  a  little  poem  of  Charles 
Hanson  Towne's  called  "  Constancy "  to  a 
beautiful  air.  Virginia  liked  it  especially  for  it 
reminded  her  of  Alan. 

"  There  is  a  love  that  perishes ;  and  one 
That  shall  outlast  the  glory  of  the  sun, 
Be  mine  the  steadfast  love  that  throbs  each  hour, 
Nor  wastes  its  beauty  like  some  heedless  flower. 


All's  Well  That  Ends  Well        317 

"  Be  mine  the  quiet  service  through  all  days, 
Serene  and  well  content  in  hidden  ways, 
Not  that  wild  passion  of  a  spendthrift  June, 
Wasted  in  ashes  at  Life's  golden  noon." 

The  Jordans  and  Professor  Canfield  came  up 
for  a  week  with  the  McPhersons.  Checks  and 
gifts  poured  in  for  the  married  pair.  Eliza- 
beth was  the  same  as  ever,  eager  to  have  her 
lover  and  best  friend  meet.  Virginia  and  Alan 
were  to  take  a  trip  the  following  week  to  Cali- 
fornia, stopping  at  the  Blacks  and  the  Theodore 
Jordans  on  the  way ;  then  back  in  time  for  Eliz- 
abeth's wedding  at  St.  Margaret's  where  Vir- 
ginia was  to  be  matron  of  honor,  and  Miss  Van 
Buren  had  written  to  say  she  was  hurrying 
home  to  attend  it. 

Marcelle  and  the  doctor  were  to  be  married 
in  early  October,  and  Ma  would  not  hear  to  it 
being  anywhere  but  at  the  farm.  She  planned 
things  with  the  girl  with  her  usual  zest. 

"  I  was  cheated  out  of  Virginia's  wedding, 
but  I  shall  not  be  denied  yours,"  she  declared. 

"  Lucinda's  got  a  new  fad,"  Bob  informed 


318  The  VioUn  Lady 

his  sister ;  "  she  bought  a  book  full  of  all  kinds 
of  wisdom  and  she  just  hurls  it  at  everybody. 
I  should  worry." 

They  all  had  their  share  of  the  shot.  "  We 
are  handy  targets,"  Marcelle  declared  laugh- 
ingly. Once  when  Virginia  exclaimed: 
"  Isn't  everything  lovely?  I  wish  we  might 
have  sunshine  forever,"  quickly  came  Lu- 
cinda's  reproof  from  her  book :  "  All  sunshine 
makes  a  desert;  better  put  up  with  some 
rain." 

When  Bob  informed  the  family  at  dinner 
that  he  intended  being  an  inventor,  Lucinda, 
who  was  passing  the  hot  corn  meal  gems,  re- 
marked :  "  Necessity  is  a  bad  bargainer  but 
a  good  inventor." 

"  How  you've  improved  your  farm,  Father 
Hammond,"  Alan  observed  one  day.  And  Lu- 
cinda, from  sheer  force  of  habit,  murmured: 
"  A  wise  man  don't  wive  till  his  father-in- 
law  thrive."  Alan  threw  back  his  head  and 
laughed  long  and  heartily. 

Marcelle  was  'walking  about  the  lawn  back 


AHJs  Well  That  Ends  Well        319 

of  the  house  when  Lucinda  ran  out  of  the 
kitchen  and  pulled  her  towards  the  house. 

"  Don't  you  see  the  ladder  ?  "  she  demanded. 

"  What  harm  is  a  ladder?  "  Marcelle  asked, 
surprised. 

"  Never  pass  under  a  ladder  or  no  wedding 
bells  this  year,"  said  Lucinda  solemnly. 

Mr.  Hammond  no  sooner  sneezed  than 
quickly  came  Lucinda's :  "  Sneeze  to  the 
right,  happy  sign;  sneeze  to  the  left,  not  so 
fine." 

"  She  has  such  an  open,  frank  countenance," 
Marcelle  said  to  Alan  one  day  in  regard  to  Ma. 

"  My  book  says,"  Lucinda,  who  was  near, 
declared,  "that  an  open  countenance  catches 
more  flies  than  vinegar." 

"  I'm  glad,  Alan,  that  your  aunt  left  you  all 
her  money,"  she  said,  "  but  don't  get  eaten  up 
with  it.  Remember,  '  there's  no  lime  juice  to 
quench  the  thirst  for  riches.'  " 

"  I  hope  you  ain't  forgot  to  cook,  Jinny," 
quoth  Lucinda,  "  for  '  Blind  love  finds  a  way 
to  the  window  when  the  cookery's  bad,'  " 


320  The  VioUn  Lady 

"  There's  a  menace  for  you,  Alan,"  his  wife 
called  to  him  gleefully.  "  I  shan't  have  any 
windows  to  our  home." 

"  I  hate  drudgery,"  Marcelle  said  one  day. 

"  Drudgery,"  said  the  family  oracle,  "  is  the 
gray  angel  of  success." 

Bob  was  always  losing  things.  He  was 
hunting  madly  for  his  knife  and  gave  excuses 
for  leaving  it  about  so  much.  "  Excuses  are 
the  only  things  always  easy  to  find  when  you're 
lookin'  for  'em,"  Lucinda  remarked  calmly. 

"  Alan,"  she  said  before  he  left,  "  don't  idle 
too  long.  '  He  that  neither  works  nor  pushes 
will  find  no  food  upon  his  bushes.'  " 

"  That's  true;  I  shall  go  to  work,  Lucinda," 
Alan  assured  her  gravely. 

"  Jinny,"  she  said,  as  she  helped  her  pack, 
"  I'm  awful  glad  you  married  Alan ;  he  ain't 
so  pretty  as  Mr.  Theodore,  but  his  face  makes 
a  body  feel  as  how  they'd  be  willin'  to  give  him 
most  anything  they  liked  awful  well,  even  their 
own  child,  'cause  they'd  be  sure  he'd  keep  it 
fur  'em  if  he  died  fur  it."  Lucinda  folded  up 


All's  Well  That  Ends  Well        321 

a  skirt.  "  And  from  the  back  he  certainly  is 
handsomer'n  Mr.  Theodore,"  she  went  on; 
"  he's  so  big  and  straight  and  well  set.  Jinny, 
I've  hed  a  lot  o'  worryin'  over  you,  but,  after 
all,  you've  come  out  all  right.  If  you'll  only 
settle  down  and  stay  put !  " 

As  the  door  closed  on  her  parting  words, 
Marcelle,  who  had  quietly  entered  the  room  a 
few  minutes  before,  and  had  been  enjoying 
Lucinda's  remarks,  said :  "  Virginia,  I've  just 
had  a  letter  from  Conrad ;  he  has  secured  a  fine 
position  at  a  New  York  hospital.  He  urges 
me  to  be  married  at  once,  but  I  want  to  wait 
till  the  time  set.  It  hardly  seems  fair  anyhow 
to  the  other  woman." 

Virginia  did  not  agree  with  her,  but  she  said 
nothing.  "  Marcelle,"  she  announced  sud- 
denly, "  I'm  bound  to  make  Genevieve  Black 
like  me  or  die  in  the  attempt !  " 

Marcelle  laughed.  "  Virginia,  you  are  a 
funny  girl,  oh,  such  a  quare  critter,  but  thank 
heaven,  Alan  can  manage  you !  " 

Virginia  flashed  a  look  at  her  friend  from 


322  The  Fiolin  Lady 

her  dancing  eyes  as  she  put  in  her  last  trunk 
tray.  "  He  doesn't  think  of  managing  me,  but 
I  have  been  taught  by  Lucinda  that  it's  the 
wife's  duty  to  do  all  things  possible  to  please 
her  lord!"  she  stated  primly;  then,  "Joking 
aside,  Marcelle,"  she  said  earnestly,  "  Alan  has 
always  understood  me,  sometimes  better  than 
I  have  myself.  He  is  the  only  man  in  the  world 
for  me,  the  only  one  I  could  ever  have  put  be- 
fore my  violin,  '  once  the  sole  master  of  my 
heart.' " 


THE  END 


POLLYANNA    GROWS     UP 

THE  SECOND  GLAD  BOOK 


Eleanor  H.  Sorter 


Author  of  "  Polly  anna,  The  QLAD  Book,"  "  Mi**  Billy," 

'Trade Mark 

"  Miu  Billy's  Decision,"  "  Mis.  Billy -Married,"  "  Crow  CurrenU," 

"  The  Turn  of  the  Tide,"  etc. 


12* 


j,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated,  net  $1.25 ; 
carriage  paid  $1 .40 


When  Eleanor  H.  Porter  wrote  her  wonderful  story  of 
POLLYANNA  and  the  glad  game  she  created  an  absolutely 
new  character  in  American  fiction.  Under  the  inspiration  of 
POLLYANNA,  who  was  the  sunniest  and  most  delightful  of 
optimists,  people  everywhere  began  to  play  the  glad  game  — 
the  game  that  brings  contentment  wherever  it  is  played. 
When  the  story  of  POLLYANNA  told  in  The  GLAD 
Book  was  ended  a  great  cry  of  regret  for  the  vanishing  "glad 
girl"  went  up  all  over  this  country — and  other  countries,  too. 
Now  POLLYANNA  appears  again,  just  as  sweet  and  joyous- 
hearted,  more  grown  up  and  more  lovable. 

The  new  story  opens  with  POLLYANNA  still  a  little  girl, 
but  she  is  in  Boston  amid  a  brand  new  environment  and  among 
new  incidents  and  new  experiences.  The  latter  half  of  the  tale 
deals  with  her  romance,  for,  of  course,  there  is  a  Prince  Charm- 
ing in  the  background. 

"  Take  away  frowns  1  Draw  up  the  window  shades !  Put 
down  the  worries  1  Stop  fidgeting  and  disagreeing  and  grum- 
bling I  Cheer  up  everybody!  POLLYANNA  has  come 
back  I " — Christian  Herald. 


The  third  volume  in  the  ANNE  trilogy 

ANNE    OF    THE    ISLAND 

~  A  Sequel  to  "  Anne  of  Green  Gables  "  §^ 
and  "  Anne  of  Avonlea  " 
&y  L.  JXC.  Montgomery 

Author  also  of  "The  Story  Girl,"  "The  Golden  Road,"  etc. 


I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  with  a  frontispiece  in  full  color,  decorative 
jacket.     &£et  $1.25;  carriage  paid  $1.40 


The  "irresistible"  Anne  Shirley  of  Green  Gables  and 
Avonlea    fame  —  the    very    Anne    whom    Mark    Twain   g 
called    "  the   dearest    and    most    moving   and    delightful 
child  of  fiction  "  —  has  come  back ;    this  time  in  a  story 
which  tells  of  her  life  at  Redmond  College,  with  its  new 
friendships  and  interests;    of  the  long  pleasant  summer    J 
vacations    spent    "  back    home "    with   Marilla   and   the 
twins  and  the  simple-hearted  folk  of  the  Island;    and 
last  of  all   of   the  romance  which  creeps  into   her  life   £ 
"  like  an  old  friend  through  quiet  ways."     This   is   a 
story  which  will  be  read  eagerly  because  it  is  true  and 
happy   and  full  of  a  clear,  kind,  wholesome,  northern 
simplicity  and  is,  moreover,  decidedly  "  Anne-ish." 

"  Here  are  standards  which  have  not  been  confused  or 
broken.  Stalwart  character,  strength  of  will,  intellec- 
tual and  moral  soundness,  goodwill,  gayety,  common 
sense  and  happiness  are  rated  simply  as  the  best  things  £ 
in  life.  Laughter  and  happiness  and  health  are  accom-  i 
paniment  of  good  life  which  is  normal  life.  Something  J 
like  this  is  the  interpretation  of  Miss  Montgomery's  ] 
work  as  a  story  writer,  which  is  at  the  same  time  an  » 
interpretation  of  her  wonderful  Island,"  writes  Miss  } 
Marjorie  MacMurchy  in  the  Book  News  Monthly. 


THE    CRIMSON    GONDOLA 


Nathan  Gallizier 


Author  of  "Castel  del  Monte,"  "The  Sorceress  of  Rome,"  "The 
Court  of  Lucifer,"  "  The  Hill  of  Venus,"  etc. 


12mo, 


doth  decorative,  illustrated  in  full  color  by  Edmund  H. 
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The  setting  of  this  new  romance  is  at  the  time  of  the 
great  tension  between  Venice  and  Constantinople,  which 
culminated  in  the  fourth  Crusade  and  the  Latin  conquest 
of  Constantinople. 

The  story  concerns  itself  with  the  fortunes  and  ad- 
ventures of  Audran  de  Vere  while  in  Constantinople  — 
the  most  romantic  city  in  the  world  —  on  a  mission  to 
take  the  Lady  Eleanor  of  Montferrat  from  the  witches' 
cauldron  of  the  Greek  capital.  Audran's  infatuation  for 
the  beautiful  Empress  Euphrosyne,  which  creates  an 
immediate  breach  between  himself  and  the  object  of  his 
mission;  the  strife  of  the  factions;  the  rivalry  between 
the  Greek  Empress  and  the  Lady  of  Montferrat;  the 
intrigues  of  John  the  Armenian,  who  aspires  to  the  hand 
of  Euphrosyne  and  the  throne;  the  scenes  in  the  crypts 
of  the  Tower  of  Angelus,  in  the  Vampire  Castle  at 
Hadrianople,  and  in  the  palace  of  the  Armenian,  where 
Eleanor  is  held  captive;  the  storming  of  Constantinople 
by  the  Venetians;  the  tragic  fate  of  Euphrosyne  and 
the  Armenian;  and  the  appearance  of  a  Crimson  Gon- 
dola —  the  funeral  barge  of  Venice  —  in  the  channel  of 
the  Golden  Horn  are  marked  incidents  of  this  compelling 
story. 

"The  author  displays  many  of  the  talents  that  made 
Scott  famous."  —  The  Index. 


THE  PROVING  OF   VIRGINIA 


A  Sequel  to  "The  Fiddling  Girl" 


12mo,  cloth  decorative,  Illustrated,  net  $1.25; 
carriage  paid  $  1 .40 


This  new  story  continues  the  career  of  Virginia  Hammond 
and  takes  "The  Fiddling  Girl"  through  three  years  of  college 
life,  at  the  end  of  which  time  she  expects  to  go  abroad  to  study 
music  under  a  famous  violin  teacher.  When  Virginia  is  about 
to  graduate  from  college  and  plans  are  made  for  the  wonderful 
life  in  Paris,  a  sudden  lessening  of  her  wealthy  aunt's  income 
prevents  the  realization  of  Virginia's  hopes.  But  this  dissap- 
pointment  does  not  dampen  her  ambition  to  study  abroad  and 
she  sets  to  work  in  characteristic  fashion  to  obtain  the  necessary 
funds. 

An  advance  opinion  on  the  manuscript :  "  Just  a  line  to  tell 
you  that  the  book  is  finished.  It  is  great !  I  have  been  so 
interested  in  it  I  After  I  started  reading  the  story  I  couldn't 
put  it  down  until  it  was  finished.  I  think  THE  PROVING 
OF  VIRGINIA  far  ahead  of  THE  FIDDLING  GIRL  — 
and  that  certainly  was  a  charming  and  uplift  story  —  which  is 
saying  much  for  the  new  book." 


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